From 1 January 2026 the Poste Italiane Spid is no longer free. In fact, after the first year of use, there is an annual fee of 6 euros to continue using the digital identity. The decision is part of a broader context in which several Identity Providers have introduced paid formulas. Some exemptions remain: minors, those over 75, residents abroad and those who use a professional Spid do not pay. Anyone who does not accept the new conditions can still withdraw without costs within 30 days of communication.
How to understand when your free Post Office Spid expires
The expiration of the free Spid is not the same for everyone, because it depends on the activation date. Anyone who created the Spid less than a year ago can continue to use it without paying until the 12 month mark. However, those who have exceeded this threshold must make the payment by the indicated date. Poste Italiane sends a warning email approximately 30 days before the deadline, but you can check independently. Simply access your personal area on the posteid.poste.it website or on the PosteID app, enter your profile, select Manage account and check the “Access functionality expiry” item, where the precise date by which to pay is shown.
How to pay the fee
Payment of the Spid Poste fee can only be made in the 30 days before the deadline. From the personal area it is possible to follow the online guided procedure, or access a dedicated page also useful for paying another person’s SPID. Alternatively, it is always possible to go to a Post Office with the owner’s tax code. If the payment is not made, the Spid is suspended, but remains recoverable: within 24 months from the last access, by paying the fee, the digital identity is reactivated without further penalties. Anyone who decides not to pay has the right to withdraw from the contract within 30 days without additional costs using the appropriate revocation request form.
Because more and more people are choosing CIE as an alternative
With the Spid becoming paid, interest in the Electronic Identity Card (CIE) as a free alternative is growing. The CIE is issued by the Italian State and does not require private intermediaries. Thanks to the NFC microchip, it allows access to online services of the Public Administration with high security standards, equivalent to SPID. Unlike the latter, it does not include annual fees, making it a stable and convenient solution in the long term.
What is the digital CIE for?
The CIE allows you to authenticate on PA portals, such as municipalities, INPS or the Revenue Agency, but it can also be used for participating private services. Looking ahead, it could replace paper documents for identification, check-in, digital access and other services. Its use is regulated by the European eIDAS standards, valid throughout the European Union, making it a central tool in the future of digital identity.
How to activate CIE on your smartphone with security level 3
To use the CIE as an advanced digital identity it is necessary to activate security level 3, the highest. You need a smartphone with NFC and the CieID app, available for Android and iOS. It is essential to have the 8-digit CIE PIN: half is provided at the time of request, the other half arrives with the card. After downloading the app, simply enter your PIN, bring the CIE close to your phone and complete the chip reading. Once activated, access can also take place via fingerprint or facial recognition.
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