Prepare your travel documents

When you travel on an SNCF Voyageurs train, both at the station and on board your train, staff may check the validity of your ticket. We'll explain why, and what proof of identity is accepted.

You must be able to present the following documents at the station or on board:

1. Your valid ticket, or the barcode on your smartphone if it is an electronic ticket or France Identité ;

2. Your proof of discount if you have one (season ticket or commercial card);

3. Original valid photo ID.

The national identity card must be valid or expired within the last 5 years. All other documents must be original and valid.

Here is the full list of documents accepted:

• France Identity application ;
• French national identity card or identity card from a member state of the European Union or from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Andorra or Monaco, of which the holder is a national;
• Passport ;
• French or EU driving licence;
• French civil or military invalidity card;
• French veteran's card;
• French military identity card;
• French hunting licence;
• Consular laissez-passer issued by the French authorities;
• Récépissé valant justification de l'identité (receipt providing proof of identity) issued to persons under investigation in exchange for their identity documents;
• Récépissé valant justification de l'identité, remis à un Français faisant l'objet d'une interdiction de sortie du territoire;
• One of the residence documents issued under articles L. 311-1 et seq. of the Code de l'Entrée et du Séjour des Etrangers et du Droit d'Asile (Code on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners and the Right of Asylum);
• A republican identity document as provided for in article L. 321-3 of the Code de l'Entrée et du Séjour des Etrangers et du Droit d'Asile (Code on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners and the Right of Asylum);
• A travel document for foreign minors, as provided for in article L. 321-4 of the Code de l'entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit d'asile;
• An identity and travel document for refugees or stateless persons;
• Professional cards issued by a public authority (Ministry, local authority, French or European administration) bearing a photograph, surname, first name and address of the holder.

Please note:

• The carte vitale is not accepted as it does not offer sufficient guarantees;
• Dematerialised identity documents (photo or scan on your phone, paper photocopy, etc.) are not accepted.

On TGV INOUI and OUIGO trains, the ticket you have bought is personal and cannot be transferred to a third party. This may also be the case for tickets for INTERCITÉS and TER trains. In addition to your train ticket, you must be able to prove your identity when your ticket is checked. In fact, when you buy a train ticket, you enter your full name and date of birth. This is a requirement of the Transport Code.

Same thing:

• If you are entitled to a discount (season ticket or commercial card): you must prove that you are the person entitled to the discount.
• In the case of disability cards: even if your disability is visible, we may ask you to show your card, as the rate of discount you are entitled to is specified on the card.
  

These rules are also necessary to combat fraud and the risk of identity theft.

If you are unable to produce proof of identity when an agent checks your travel documents, you will be considered to be in breach of the law, as if the ticket were not yours. The inspecting officer will then ask you to rectify the situation by immediately paying the inspection fee plus a surcharge.

Please note:

• If you refuse to pay the fine, you will be issued with a ticket;
• If you do not pay your fine within three months, you will have to pay the increased amount to the Treasury.

If you realise that you do not have a suitable supporting document, or if you have any doubts about the validity of your ticket, you should go and see the staff on board without waiting for your ticket to be checked. The surcharge you will have to pay on the regularisation scale will then be lower than the surcharge you have to pay when your ticket is checked.

As a general rule, we advise you to contact one of our agents as soon as you have any doubts about the legality of your journey. Once your situation has been regularised, you can make a complaint to the SNCF TOUTOUI customer service https://tout-oui.sncf.com/ or 3635 (cost of a local call) and, from abroad, 00 33 1 84 94 36 35 (cost of an international call). For TER travel, visit the website of each region.