The national identity card (CNI) in Cameroon
Since February 2025, Cameroon's national identity card has been applied for in two stages: online pre-enrolment on idcam.cm, paid by mobile money, then a visit to a police identification centre for fingerprints and a photograph. The new system, run by the German company Augentic, promises a card within 48 hours, after years in which some Cameroonians waited up to three years for their card, carrying only a paper receipt. This page sets out what the official texts and the press say about cost, documents, delays, validity, loss and penalties.
Information checked on
At a glance
- Issued by
- General Delegation for National Security (DGSN)
- Contractor
- Augentic (contract of 13 May 2024)
- Stamp duty (since 2024)
- 10,000 CFA francs (previously 2,800)
- Minimum total cost
- About 15,500 CFA francs including documents
- Pre-enrolment
- www.idcam.cm, since 17 February 2025
- Official turnaround
- 48 hours after physical enrolment
- Legal basis
- Decree No. 2025/059 of 28 February 2025
The new ID card: what changed in 2025
Cameroon had already launched a biometric ID card on 9 August 2016 in Yaoundé, with the French firm Gemalto, promising 350 identification posts and 50 mobile units. The system stalled: in July 2020 Camer.be reported that production had lacked materials for more than a year, after the contract with Thales ended, and that applicants were living on extended receipts. In July 2023 Ecomatin still reported waits of 6 to 12 months, sometimes two years.
On 30 June 2023 Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute told Parliament there would be online pre-enrolment, cashless payment and three times as many identification posts. On 13 May 2024 the head of the national police, Martin Mbarga Nguele, signed a contract with Augentic GmbH (described by Ecomatin as the German-Portuguese consortium INCM-Augentic), an investment of about 70 million euros according to Digital Business Africa. The contractor is to build three production centres, in Yaoundé, Douala and Garoua, and at least fifteen enrolment stations in each regional capital; in June 2024 the DGSN announced an increase from 280 to 543 posts, with more than 700 fixed and 300 mobile kits.
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 13 May 2024 | DGSN-Augentic contract signed |
| 19 June 2024 | Foundation stone of the national ID production centre, Etoudi (Yaoundé) |
| 20 June 2024 | Ordinance raising the stamp duty from 2,800 to 10,000 CFA francs |
| 17 February 2025 | Online pre-enrolment opens on idcam.cm |
| 24 February 2025 | Physical enrolment begins in regional capitals |
| 28 February 2025 | Decree No. 2025/059 on identity documents |
| 3 March 2025 | First cards available in Yaoundé |
| 14 March 2025 | Douala production centre opens |
The card is made of polycarbonate, with a digital photograph and fingerprints; according to Osiris it meets the ISO/IEC 9303 civil aviation standard and carries a machine-readable zone. Decree No. 2025/059 of 28 February 2025, published by the Presidency, sets out the features and issuing procedures for all identity documents (ID card, residence permits and cards, refugee card).
How much does the ID card cost?
A presidential ordinance of 20 June 2024, amending the 2024 finance law, raised the ID card stamp duty from 2,800 to 10,000 CFA francs, a 257% increase according to Ecomatin. Journal du Cameroun noted that the old price stayed in force until the new system went live. The 10,000 francs are paid online at pre-enrolment (MTN Mobile Money, Orange Money, Yoomee or Express Union, according to Digital Business Africa), plus transaction fees.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| ID card stamp duty | 10,000 |
| Certificate of nationality | 3,500 |
| Certified copy of birth certificate | 2,000 |
| Minimum total | 15,500 |
The increase was badly received: in July 2024 Le360 Afrique compared it to a third of the public-sector minimum wage. In December 2025 a rumour of a rise to 20,000 francs circulated; Shanda Tonme, described by Allafrica as a universal mediator heading an anti-corruption commission, replied that the fee was still 10,000 francs and that no official act had changed it, while acknowledging that some officials illegally demand extra payments.
Step by step: idcam.cm, enrolment, collection
- Pre-enrolment on www.idcam.cm (run by Augentic for the DGSN): choose a language, enter your details, pay the 10,000 francs by mobile money, and pick an enrolment centre and date.
- Physical enrolment at the chosen centre: show the payment receipt and original documents, then fingerprints and photograph are taken. Only one change of appointment is allowed, according to Digital Business Africa.
- Collection at the same centre after an SMS notification. According to a DGSN statement reported by Camer.be in April 2025, cards not collected within six months are destroyed.
In Yaoundé, the first enrolments took place at the Bastos and Odza police stations, followed by ten regional centres from 24 February 2025. To track an application made under the old system, the DGSN gave in 2024 the toll-free numbers 1500 and 1550 and a WhatsApp contact, according to Kamerpower; 1550 has been running since 28 August 2019, according to Camer.be.
Documents required
No government website publishes an official list in plain text (the 2025 decree is only available as a scanned image). The lists below are those published by the Kamerpower (July 2024) and Infos pratiques (2026) guides, which agree on the essentials. Bring originals and copies.
| Situation | Documents |
|---|---|
| First application | Certified copy of birth certificate, certificate of nationality, marriage certificate (married women), proof of occupation where relevant |
| Renewal | Old ID card, marriage certificate (married women), proof of occupation where relevant |
| Loss, theft or damage | Loss or theft report from the police or gendarmerie, photocopy of the old card if available, certified copy of birth certificate |
| Change of parentage | Certified copy of birth certificate, court ruling establishing the new parentage, old ID card |
| Naturalised foreigner | Certified copy of birth certificate, naturalisation decree, criminal record extract, marriage certificate where relevant |
To fight fraud, a service note of 28 April 2025 tells officers to check every birth certificate and certificate of nationality for authenticity; according to Camer.be, people over 30 applying for a first ID card without valid supporting documents are turned away. Birth certificates and certificates of nationality have their own pages.
Promised 48 hours, and the reality
Under the old system, accounts gathered by Le360 Afrique (May 2024) and Journal du Cameroun (March 2025) describe waits of up to three years. The 48-hour pledge, made in 2023 for the end of 2024, had not been met by January 2025, Camer.be noted. The first cards of the new system, for people enrolled on 24 February 2025, were ready on 3 March 2025.
The 48-hour clock starts at physical enrolment, not at payment. In May 2025 Camer.be described a Douala applicant who paid online on 26 March, got an enrolment slot on 23 April, 27 days later, and whose card, promised for 30 April, was not ready. In April 2025 the DGSN said that thousands of cards were waiting to be collected and that delays had fallen âconsiderablyâ. No official statistics on actual turnaround times were found.
Receipt, validity, loss
While the card is being made, the applicant receives a receipt that serves as proof of identity. Under the old system, sources give a validity of three months (Afrik.com) and extensions in six-month blocks (Le360 Afrique, 2020); some people ended up with receipts expired for over a year, causing trouble at police checkpoints.
The validity of the new card is reported differently: 15 years according to Journal du Cameroun and Le360 Afrique (July 2024) and Digital Business Africa (March 2025), up from 10; 10 years according to Camer.be (April 2025) and the Infos pratiques guide (2026). If the card is lost or stolen, you first need a report from the police or gendarmerie, then a full new application on idcam.cm, stamp duty included.
Legal duty and penalties
According to Le360 Afrique (July 2020), the law of 19 December 1990 establishing the ID card punishes not having one with three months to a year in prison and a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 CFA francs, and refusing to show it to the police with five to ten days in prison and a fine of 4,000 to 25,000 francs (section R370 of the Penal Code). In practice, people stopped without ID during security sweeps are often taken to the police station.
From abroad
The ID card cannot be obtained abroad: the High Commission in London states that it is issued by the DGSN in Cameroon, on application in person, and none of the missions consulted offers enrolment. According to Camer.be (May 2025), Cameroonians living abroad who apply there must show their ordinary passport, a travel document bearing their visas and their residence permit. Abroad, embassies issue a consular card instead, which serves as identification with them (US$54.54 in Washington in 2026). See the page on paperwork from abroad.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an ID card cost in Cameroon in 2026?
The stamp duty has been 10,000 CFA francs since the ordinance of 20 June 2024, paid online on idcam.cm. With the certificate of nationality and a certified birth certificate, the minimum cost is about 15,500 francs.
How do I pre-enrol for the ID card online?
On www.idcam.cm: enter your details, pay 10,000 francs by mobile money and choose a centre and date. Then go to the centre with the receipt and original documents for fingerprints and a photograph.
Is the ID card really issued in 48 hours?
That is the official turnaround after physical enrolment, met for the first applicants in March 2025. But waiting for an appointment can take weeks, and the press has reported cards not ready on the promised date.
How long is the new ID card valid for?
The 2024 press and Digital Business Africa (March 2025) say 15 years; other sources say 10. The 2025 decree, published only as a scanned image, does not settle the question.
What should I do if I lose my ID card?
Report the loss at a police station or gendarmerie post, then make a new application on idcam.cm with that report, a copy of the old card if you have one and a certified copy of your birth certificate.
What is the penalty for having no ID card in Cameroon?
Under the 1990 law as cited by Le360 Afrique, having no ID card is punishable by three months to a year in prison and a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 francs. In practice, the main risk is being taken to the police station during a check.
Handle with care
Decree No. 2025/059 is only published as a poor-quality scan, so the minimum age, the validity of receipts under the new system and the card's validity period could not be checked article by article. Several 2024-2025 sources give 15 years' validity, others 10. The old price was 2,800 francs according to Ecomatin and Journal du Cameroun, 6,000 according to Le360 Afrique (probably including other fees). The penalties come from a single 2020 press article, which does not give the number of the 1990 law. Document lists come from private guides, not an official website.