All Dutch citizens from the age of 14 are required to be able to show a valid identity document when the police or other enforcement officers ask for identification. The identity card is commonly used for this purpose, but other identity documents such as a passport or driver’s licence may be used instead.

The Dutch identity card is also a valid means of personal identification in a number of countries outside the Netherlands and may be used as a travel document in those countries in place of a Dutch passport

Validity

The Dutch identity card is a valid travel document within all of Europe (except Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and United Kingdom) as well as Georgia, Montserrat (max. 14 days), Turkey and on organised tours to Tunisia. 

Validity in EU/EFTA states is based on membership of the European Union, while validity in Turkey is based on the “European Agreement on Regulations governing the Movement of Persons between Member States of the Council of Europe“.

Since the document is defined within the Dutch Passport Law (Paspoortwet) as a “travel document of the European part of the Netherlands” rather than a “travel document of the Kingdom”, this identity card is not issued or valid in the ABC islands or the SSS islands.

An identity card is normally valid for a period of 10 years for adults and 5 years for minors.