The French government has introduced a new process designed to simplify the certification of digital identities for French nationals residing in French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Wallis and Futuna.
The newly introduced system enables users to update the application and create a secure QR code that can be verified at local town halls. Upon scanning, the digital identity is activated within the app. The process necessitates [1] the possession of the latest biometric ID card featuring recorded fingerprint biometrics, an NFC-enabled smartphone, and validation of adulthood. Validation is expected to take between 24 to 48 hours, with complete activation finalized within a week. Historically, French citizens residing outside mainland France had to depend on FranceConnect or postal methods for certification, which were not consistently accessible.
The introduction of online proxy voting through [2] the France Identité app is expected to facilitate the voting process for citizens residing far from polling stations. To utilize this service, users are required to download or update the France Identité app. As of 2026, [3] France Identité boasts over 4 million users. This government mobile application enables citizens to store their ID cards, driving licenses, and vehicle documents on their smartphones. In May, the app's sandbox version was launched for iOS, allowing early testers to trial builds on both Android and iOS platforms, thereby validating the end-to-end processes.
The national digital identity application is set to function as [4] the nation’s EUDI Wallet. The successful validation of [5] Namirial for interoperability with France Identité underscores this development, as the "France Identité Ready" badge signifies compliance with the French EUDI Wallet ecosystem and anticipated EU standards. Florent Tournois, who [6] is the Director of Identity at France Identité said, “The European digital identity wallet is one of the most ambitious digital projects for Europe. Its success will depend not only on public initiatives but also on the ability of private companies and intermediaries to transform this infrastructure into concrete services that citizens can use in their daily lives. That is why it is important to recognize organizations that are already demonstrating interoperability with France Identité and helping to bridge the gap between regulatory ambitions and actual adoption.”
Pierre Feligioni, who [7] is the Deputy CEO Namirial also said, “European digital identity can only function if all public and private stakeholders adopt truly interoperable standards. This recognition by the France Identité ecosystem and the results achieved in European tests confirm our commitment to playing a leading role in building a trusted infrastructure on a European scale.” However, in April 2026, the French government has confirmed that a database housing identity document records experienced a breach affecting millions of entries containing personal information. The cyberattack on France Titres’ infrastructure resulted in the theft of approximately 18 to 19 million records related to identity credentials, including biometric passports, national ID cards, and driver’s licenses. This number represents around one third of the adult population in France.
Hackers identified as “breach3d” and “ExtaseHunters” have announced a data breach, claiming to sell the stolen records on a hacker forum, [8] according to Cybernews. The compromised information reportedly includes full names, email addresses, dates of birth, and unique identifiers for each account. Additionally, some records contain home addresses and phone numbers. France Titres has confirmed that it reported the recent incident to the CNIL, France’s data protection authority. The official communication highlights an increased risk of phishing and fraudulent attacks. However, the agency states that the information compromised does not provide access to the ants.gouv.fr portal from which it was taken.
Known formally as the National Agency for Secure Titles or ANTS, France Titres refrained from confirming reports of a breach involving 12 to 13 million ID records that occurred in September 2025. The timing of this latest breach is notable, as the country has been working with numerous organizations to facilitate the launch of the EU Digital Identity Wallet, [9] with a planned rollout set for 2027.