the local mayor's office. On 1 January 2013, the obligation to obtain an AST was removed, and all minors are now able solely to use their French national identity cards when leaving/re-entering France without a legal ascendant. However, whilst the French border authorities no longer require an AST from the legal ascendant(s) of an unaccompanied minor when he/she leaves or re-enters France, the border authorities of other countries may require the minor to present some form of written approval from the his/her legal ascendant(s) before admitting him/her. Validity Prior to 1 January 2014, French national identity cards were issued with a maximum period of validity of 10 years. On 1 January 2014, the period of validity of new cards issued to adults was increased from 10 to 15 years. In addition, on the same day, a retroactive change in the period of validity came into effect by virtue of Decree 2013-1188. As a result, all French national identity cards issued between 2 January 2004 and 31 December 2013 to adults had their period of validity automatically extended from 10 years to 15 years. This extension took place without the need for any physical amendment to the expiry date which appears on eligible cards — for example, the holder of a French national identity card issued on 1 February 2004 (when he/she was already an adult) will actually be valid until 1 February 2019 automatically without the need for any amendment to the card (even though it states on the card that it will expire on 1 February 2014). As of 15 March 2021, the new id card lasts 10 years. Design The card measures 105 x 74 mm. The paper card was laminated and had rounded corners until a new credit card sized plastic format was introduced as part of an overhaul in 2021. All the information on the card was given in the French language only until English was added with the new card design. Whilst French passports and residence permits (issued to non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens residing in France) contain an RFID chip, the design of the French national identity card remained unchanged from 1994 to 2021 and so cards were issued without an RFID chip (unlike a number of other EU member states which have updated the design of their national identity cards to include an RFID chip) until 2021. Whilst fingerprints are collected as part of the application