La permanencia ya no es permanente
El DNI permanente, expedido a mayores de 70 años y personas con gran invalidez, pierde validez por regulación europea que exige nuevos requisitos de seguridad. El caso de un pasajero de 89 años rechazado en un vuelo de Ryanair por llevar DNI permanente evidenció la necesidad de aclarar la normativa aplicable.
- El DNI permanente debe renovarse antes del 3 de agosto de 2031
- Un ciudadano de 89 años fue rechazado en un vuelo de Ryanair por llevar DNI permanente
- La regulación europea 2019/1157 establece nuevos requisitos de seguridad para documentos de identidad
- Los nuevos DNI para mayores de 70 años tendrán validez de más de 10 años con fecha simbólica 01-01-9999
El Gobierno confirma que los ciudadanos con DNI permanente deberán renovarlo antes del 3 de agosto de 2031 por normativa europea que elimina progresivamente estos documentos sin fecha de caducidad.
A man of 89 years arrived at the airport in Eindhoven with his Spanish identity card in hand, ready to board a Ryanair flight to Reus. The airline stopped him at the gate. His document, they said, did not meet the migration requirements for the journey. He was not allowed to fly. The incident was not isolated in its confusion—it was a symptom of a larger shift in European identity documentation that Spain's government has now felt obliged to clarify.
Spain has long issued what it calls the DNI permanente, a national identity card with no expiration date. For decades, this document went to Spanish citizens over 70 years old and, in exceptional cases, to those over 30 who could prove severe disability officially recognized by the state. The permanence was a practical mercy: elderly people and those with serious mobility challenges did not have to navigate the bureaucracy of renewal. The card simply lasted a lifetime.
But the European Union has decided otherwise. A regulation adopted in 2019, now taking effect across member states, requires all identity documents to meet new security standards and to carry explicit expiration dates. Spain's government confirmed this week, in a written response to a senator from the opposition People's Party, that citizens holding the permanent DNI must renew their documents before August 3, 2031. After that date, the old cards will no longer be valid. The regulation applies primarily to identity cards issued between 1990 and 2006 with permanent validity.
The change is not as dramatic as it might first appear. The Spanish government has clarified that the new DNI for citizens over 70 will still carry a very long validity period—more than ten years—following European standards. The word "permanente" will simply disappear from the document. In its place will appear a symbolic expiration date: 01-01-9999, a date so distant it functions almost as a placeholder for infinity. Citizens can renew voluntarily and without advance appointment at any documentation office.
The case that forced this clarification involved L.C., the 89-year-old passenger from Eindhoven. When Ryanair refused to let him board, the airline argued that each passenger bears responsibility for carrying documentation valid under the rules of both departure and destination countries. The incident created significant inconvenience and expense for his family. The Spanish Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility noted that because the denial occurred in the Netherlands, Dutch aviation authorities hold jurisdiction over the application of European regulations.
The new European identity card format brings with it additional capabilities. Citizens will gain access to digital certificates for signature and authentication, tools that facilitate interaction with government services online. The Spanish government has created a portal called MiDNI where citizens can register and activate a digital version of their document. All information is available at www.dnielectronico.es.
For now, the old permanent DNI cards remain valid for travel within the European Union and to a list of other countries including Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and several Balkan nations. But the countdown has begun. Before August 2031, millions of Spanish citizens will need to visit a documentation office and exchange the card that has served them, in some cases, for their entire adult lives. The European Union's push for standardization and security has made the permanence permanent no longer.
Notable Quotes
Cada pasajero debe asegurarse de portar documentación válida conforme a las normas del país de salida y destino— Ryanair, en respuesta al caso del pasajero rechazado
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did the European Union decide to eliminate these permanent identity cards in the first place?
Security and standardization. The regulation from 2019 was designed to ensure that all member states' identity documents meet the same technical and security requirements. A card with no expiration date doesn't fit that framework—there's no built-in moment to update the security features or verify that the holder is still alive.
But couldn't they have just updated the security features on the permanent cards without changing the expiration policy?
Theoretically, yes. But the EU chose a cleaner path: standardize everything, including the expiration mechanism. It's simpler to administer across 27 countries if every document has a date on it.
The 89-year-old man who was denied boarding—was Ryanair actually breaking any rules?
That's the murky part. The airline was technically correct that each passenger must carry valid documentation. But "valid" is where it gets complicated. The Spanish government says the permanent DNI is valid until 2031. Ryanair apparently interpreted the lack of an expiration date as a problem. The real issue is that the transition period created ambiguity.
So this could happen to other people before 2031?
It could, yes. Anyone with a permanent DNI traveling internationally might encounter the same confusion. That's partly why the government felt compelled to issue this clarification now—to prevent more incidents like the one in Eindhoven.
What happens to someone who doesn't renew by August 2031?
Their card becomes invalid. They won't be able to travel, vote, or use it for any official purpose. The government says renewal is voluntary and free, but it's really mandatory if you want to keep using your identity card.