Just before the start of the pandemic the European Commission changed the requirements that the EU Member States must fulfill before a crew or airport identification card may be issued. There are two major changes that may have important consequences for crew. They will enter into force from the beginning of 2022.
The first change is that the national authority issuing the identification card will now be required not only to check the corresponding criminal record but also to cover intelligence and any other relevant information available to them. The intelligence element could sound like an intriguing requirement in terms of what states will be looking at exactly. Typically, states want to be able to check what you have been up to for the last five years (or even more in some cases) starting from the point when the procedure for obtaining a security clearance based on a ‘clear’ background check is launched. Meaning that they want documentary evidence about that complete period (5 years or more) to support your statement about your history.
