Cyprus will not restore parents’ names on new identity cards

Nicosia, Cyprus. The interior ministry said on Tuesday it does not intend to reverse the removal of parents’ names from new biometric identity cards issued from July.

The change was made by the Civil Registry on the advice of the Commissioner for Children’s Rights, according to Politis.

Decision and contract changes

The ministry said the change was introduced without prior public notification and is reflected in the amended contract between the government and the private company responsible for printing the cards.

Interior ministry sources said there are no current plans to return to the previous format, despite reactions from some quarters.

EU standards

The sources said the policy is in line with EU Regulation 2025/1208, which establishes uniform standards for identity cards across the bloc.

The regulation does not expressly prohibit including parents’ names on identity cards, leaving the matter to individual EU member states. The removal of the field was therefore a decision by Cyprus.

Reasoning

The sources said identity cards are presented to verify the identity of the holder, rather than that of their parents.

Information about parents will continue to be recorded in other relevant documents, including birth certificates.