I understand there is a national identity card system in Spain (Carnet de Identidad). How much are people charged to acquire one? I'm asking because there are plans afoot by the politicians in the UK to introduce it there, but to charge everyone 85 pounds (around 130 Euros) for the pleasure...

130! what an abuse!
If I'm not wrong, here it's free unless you lose it, then you have to pay 6 euros or so.

I think everyone I know in Spain has a national I.D. card. Spaniards: clarify this point, please - I think the National I.D. doubles as a drivers license, correct? It's a photo I.D. with your driver designation. Personally, I think it's a great idea.

Saludos, MadridMan

We residents have an ID card too. We have to show it when we use a credit card at a supermarket or petrol station.

The driver's licence is a separate document MM. I just renewed mine and while an ID card is free, the driver's licence is a bit of a rip off. We have to renew it every ten years, or in my case every 5 years if we are over 45 years old and every 2 years I think if over 70, but someone can correct me if I'm wrong about that.

Problem is, you have to take a medical, which cost me 25 Euros. This and the cost of the replacement licence, which was about 14 Euros or so, means easy money for the government and those doctors specialising in clearing you for permits for driving hunting etc. I know in the UK its a one off fee until you are 65 or 70. Is it the same in the States?

A driving licence can replace an ID card, not the other way , MM. You can not drive only with your ID card, you would get a huge fine.

It is mandatory for a spaniard to have an ID card (DNI or Documento Nacional de Identidad). Except some minorities (some gypsies) everyone has it. It's renewal is in 10 year periods.

This ID card has a unique number for every citizen, a color photo, your name, first surname, second surname, signature, birth's place, birth's date, your father's first name, your mother's first name, your sex and your address.

We only have to show it to official authorities (such as police), though it is used also to validate your credit cards for example. We may use it to travel to other european countries without passport (the Schengen Agreement countries: Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Portugal,...).

There are plans to include a chip with a digital signature so you would be able to identify yourself when making online transactions or requesting official documents.

If you drive, you must have also a drivers licence which is just a document with your licence's class, name and ID card number.

Personally, I think that having an ID card is a good thing.

Fernando

The vast majority of law abiding citrizens in the UK agree with you Fernando, however others including those with something to hide and of course the do-gooders who go under the banner of civil liberty groups are against them. Why??

Hmmm, I thought people was against it in UK...

I don't feel my liberties cut with the ID card. It is very convenient when you need to identify yourself (in banks, official institutions,...).

Fernando

You are right Fernando, many people in the UK ARE against this scheme, and as the implications become known, many more will oppose it.
Someone posting above uses the old saying "if you've nothing to hide you've nothing to fear" bogus argument. Would you accept government cctv in your house ? (after all, if you've nothing to hide...)
If someone from the government wants my id there are already ways to access it (passport, bank account, driving licence etc). Why should I pay an extra large (to me and many others) fee to the government - they already take enough from us in the UK.
Last argument (for now) - the reasons the government claim are necessary for this scheme are totally bogus. It won't stop terrorist attacks (I think people on this board will know this more than most). It won't cut crime either - more likely crime will move into identity theft in an even larger way.
I resent having to pay over 100 pounds a year for a TV licence (whether I watch bbc or not). At least there is a tangible benefit from the tv licence. I will not pay 85 extra pounds, and there are a lot who feel the same as me. (Believe me this proposed law may actually create people willing to break laws)
Sorry to rant like this MadridMan - perhaps this thread should snooze for a few days over the festive period??

Well, the problem is that here it just costs 6,31 € to get the ID card (even if you loose it it would be 11,45 € to get a new one).

If I had to pay 85 pounds I would get really upset...

But in general it is better for the country (though it won't stop terrorism) and it is not as intrusive as having a CCTV at home

Fernando