How to renew a biometric ID card after loss or theft

Algérie 360 reported on when the biometric national identity card must be renewed: at expiry, after a change of civil status, or after loss or theft.

The card is valid for 10 years from the age of 19, and for five years for minors. Holders can ask to renew it in the three months before it expires, which avoids being left without a valid document.

Renewal is also needed after a change in civil status details, such as after a marriage. A minor must renew the card on reaching 19.

A presidential decree of 2017 sets out these rules, and the process stays simple if applicants bring the right documents.

How do I apply?

Applicants file the request at any town council (APC) in their wilaya of residence. They can choose the nearest one, or the one that is least busy.

The applicant completes and signs a form, available at the town council or on the Interior Ministry website.

There is no need to provide civil status documents already recorded in the automated national register. Town council staff check that information directly.

For a first application, a nationality certificate is needed if the applicant has neither a biometric card nor a biometric passport.

The applicant must be present for biometric data to be collected, although children under 12 are exempt from fingerprinting.

The old card, once expired, is handed back when the new one is collected.

Holders of a biometric passport have a simpler process. They can request the card on the Interior Ministry portal, without visiting an enrolment site.

Their biometric data is not collected again, and an SMS gives the date and place of collection once the card is produced.

Required documents can vary slightly from one commune to another. Algérie 360 recommends checking with the APC before making a trip.

What if the card is lost or stolen?

The holder must first report the loss or theft to the nearest police or gendarmerie. Abroad, this report is made at the consulate.

These services then inform the town council or the issuing consulate, which makes the old card unusable.

The applicant attaches this report to the renewal file in place of the old card.

What does it cost?

A first card and an ordinary renewal do not pay stamp duty. A new card after loss or damage costs 1,000 dinars (DZD).

The same amount applies to a card destroyed because it was not collected in time. The administration cancels any card not collected within six months of the collection notice.

Algérie 360 advises collecting the card as soon as the SMS arrives. Algerians registered abroad can also obtain a biometric ID card.