Mancunians first to get identity cards

19 Nov 2009

Residents and workers in Greater Manchester will be the first in the country to be able to apply for a new national identity card from November 30.

The first appointments for those with a home or work address in the Greater Manchester region will take place at the end of the month.

People can register to get the £30 card, which is expected to be a secure and convenient way to prove identities when engaging in individual transactions or purchasing age-restricted goods.

People can also use the cards instead of a passport when travelling in Europe.

Identity Minister Meg Hillier said: "This announcement is the final step towards issuing secure identity cards to the residents of Greater Manchester.

"Identity cards will prove themselves extremely useful in daily life, from opening a bank account to entering a nightclub, and for travel to Europe."

Phil Woolas, Home Office Minister and Minister for the North West of England, who enrolled for his card at the Identity and Passport Service office in central Manchester, said: "The people of Greater Manchester can book their identity card appointments."

He added that the process was simple and took "around 15 minutes".