If anything, I wish they made passports into the size of a regular ID so it fits in a wallet/cardholder and you don’t have to worry about it getting folded or wet. Make visas and stamps digital so a chip scan of the card provides all the info, instead of eye/face recognition/tracking.
For many years now whenever I travel within EU I use my EU identity card and it's very convenient. Would indeed be great if I could use something like it outside EU as well.
You probably can, not just in non-EU Schengen countries (i.e. EFTA) but also a couple of other select places. E.g. Egypt will let you in with a German ID card if you have two extra images with you so they can issue you a small cardboard visa. Wouldn't recommend it in Egypt though, banks, hotels etc. might not recognise ID cards.
But that's really the main issue: The country will have to issue a visa and that has to be recorded in some way. It could, in principle, be completely electronic and online, but that requires that their IT systems can actually use the electronic features of your ID card and that everyone who might have to check your visa has to have a card reader and a connection to the state's servers.
Literally shoot me if this becomes a reality. I don't want my ability to travel to be dependent on something with a steadily dying battery.
If anything, I wish they made passports into the size of a regular ID so it fits in a wallet/cardholder and you don’t have to worry about it getting folded or wet. Make visas and stamps digital so a chip scan of the card provides all the info, instead of eye/face recognition/tracking.
For many years now whenever I travel within EU I use my EU identity card and it's very convenient. Would indeed be great if I could use something like it outside EU as well.
You probably can, not just in non-EU Schengen countries (i.e. EFTA) but also a couple of other select places. E.g. Egypt will let you in with a German ID card if you have two extra images with you so they can issue you a small cardboard visa. Wouldn't recommend it in Egypt though, banks, hotels etc. might not recognise ID cards.
But that's really the main issue: The country will have to issue a visa and that has to be recorded in some way. It could, in principle, be completely electronic and online, but that requires that their IT systems can actually use the electronic features of your ID card and that everyone who might have to check your visa has to have a card reader and a connection to the state's servers.