Prepare your travel documents

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

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

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

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

3. Valid original photo ID.

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

Here is the complete list of accepted documents:

• Application France Identité ;
• 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, where the holder is a national of that country;
• Passport ;
• French or EU driving license;
• French civil or military disability card;
• French veteran's card;
• French military identity card;
• French hunting license;
• Consular laissez-passer issued by the French authorities;
• Récépissé valant justification de l'identité 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;
• A Republican identity document (titre d'identité républicain) under article L. 321-3 of the Code de l'entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit d'asile;
• 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;
• Dematerialized identity documents (photo or scan on your phone, paper photocopy, etc.) are not accepted.

In the case of TGV INOUI and OUIGO trains, the ticket you have purchased is nominative, and cannot be transferred to a third party. This may also be the case for INTERCITÉS and TER train tickets. 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 French 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.
• For disability cards: even if your disability is visible, we have to ask you to show your card, as the discount rate 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 show proof of identity when an agent checks your travel documents, you will be considered in breach of the law, as if the ticket were not yours. The ticket inspector will then ask you to regularize your situation by immediately paying the inspection fee plus a surcharge.

Please note:

• If you refuse to pay the fine assigned to you, you will be issued with a ticket;
• If you fail to pay the fine within three months, you will be required to pay the increased amount to the French Treasury.

If you realize that you don't have a valid ticket, or if you have any doubts about the validity of your ticket, you should report to the ticket agent on board without waiting for your ticket to be checked. The surcharge you'll have to pay on the regularization scale will then be lower than the surcharge you'll have to pay during an inspection.

As a general rule, we advise you to contact one of our agents as soon as you have any doubts about the regularity of your journey. Once your situation has been regularized, you can make a complaint to the SNCF TOUTOUI customer service department at https://tout-oui.sncf.com/ or by calling 3635. For TER travel, visit the website of each region.