Spain-Unusual Plastic ID Card Type

Spain-Unusual Plastic ID Card Type

A photograph, a digital fingerprint, a signature and a unique and personal identification number are the elements specific to the Spanish National Identification Document (DNI). It is a document whose creation by decree on 2 March 1944 led to suspicions among citizens, but is now considered one of the most versatile, efficient and practical documents for Spanish people to be identified as citizens and with which they can be easily related to the National administration.

As was indicated in the prelude of the decree, the DNI was intended as a replacement to the Personal Card as a form of identification, as well as other documents that already existed such as the Postal Identity Card, which was issued by Correos to identify recipients and which enabled other procedures to be carried out with the Postal Administration.

Its issue and distribution was entrusted to the Directorate of Security, which could not implement the document until 1951 due to the post-war political and social situation. The first design was awarded to Aquilino Rieusset and was valid until 1961. In 1962, the format changed to include blood type and marital status.

Then, in 1985, the Spanish National Mint was awarded with the manufacturing of the DNI, and together with the Directorate of Police, guaranteed its issue.

Over the 90 years, its production has been computerized, the first high-security measures have been incorporated, the size has been reduced and the fingerprint has been removed. In 1996, a color photograph was included and from 2000, it was issued in the co-official languages ​​of Spain.

New technology was incorporated into the document from 2006 in the form of a built-in chip that enabled connection to computerized services.

An electronic version called DNI 3.0 was introduced in 2015. Its design included two antennas, one for radio frequency and another with NFC technology that enables it to be used with mobile phone applications.

The current edition faithfully reproduces the latest DNI model, even imitating the laminated paper.