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- The original omission was justified on data protection, card modernisation and alignment with European practices.
- The Ministry reversed course after considering citizen concerns and political party positions, saying the change posed no security or legal issues.
- Existing records will be used again, with parents’ names shown as in the Population Registry and birth certificate; blanks remain where one parent is unregistered.
- Citizens with cards issued without parents’ details may replace them free of charge once the system is restored, and the Ministry is considering two card types.
The Ministry of Interior has decided to restore the inclusion of parents’ full names on Cyprus’s new biometric identity cards, following reactions to the original decision to remove this information.
In a statement, the Ministry recalled that the decision not to include parents’ details had been taken for reasons relating to personal data protection, the modernisation of identity cards and alignment with European practices.
However, after considering the concerns expressed by a significant number of citizens, as well as the positions put forward by political parties, and concluding that the change would not raise security issues or conflict with Cyprus’s international obligations, the Ministry has decided to reverse its initial decision.
In cooperation with the company contracted to issue the identity cards, the previous system will be restored. Under this arrangement, the full names of the applicant’s parents will appear as recorded in the Population Registry and on the applicant’s birth certificate.
Where the details of one parent have not been registered, the corresponding field will remain blank, as was the case under the previous system. The Ministry is awaiting a timetable from the contractor for the technical implementation of the change.
At the same time, the Ministry is examining whether citizens could be given a choice between two types of identity card: one displaying parents’ details and one without them.
Following a relevant inquiry to the European Commission, the Ministry was informed that EU rules do not prohibit a member state from issuing different types of identity cards. However, the practice is not encouraged, as uniform documents help facilitate border checks.
The contractor has verbally informed the Ministry that operating both systems in parallel is technically possible, while a timetable for implementation is still awaited.
The Ministry also clarified that citizens who have already been issued an identity card without their parents’ details and wish to add them will be able to replace it free of charge once the previous system has been restored. Replacements will be available through Citizen Service Centres or District Administrations.
The Ministry of Interior said its objective remains to issue public documents that combine security, international acceptance and respect for citizens’ rights.
This reversal illustrates the difficulty of balancing data-protection principles and European standardisation with public expectations surrounding identity documents. Allowing citizens to choose between two versions could address individual preferences, although it may also introduce unnecessary complexity and reduce the uniformity that facilitates administrative and border checks.
