Deadline to acquire new ID cards expires on March 31

If you have not yet acquired the new biometric National Identity Card, you have until March 31st to do so. As announced by the Ministry of Technology this week, the laminated card will be not be valid after the month of March. The deadline will not be extended as provided for by the National Identity Card Act. In fact, those who do not have the new biometric card face the risk of criminal prosecution. The law provides for a fine not exceeding Rs100,000 and imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.

Since the announcement of the deadline, many have been rushing and queuing up at the three conversion centres namely at the Emmanuel Anquetil building in Port Louis, the NPF building in Rose-Hill and at Port Mathurin, in Rodrigues. In order to meet with the demand, the supervising ministry will be installing additional counters in Port Louis and Rose Hill. A mobile unit will be responsible for handling those who cannot travel such as old or disabled persons. The ministry is also planning to open the conversion centres on Saturdays.

The documents required for obtaining a new identity card are the old identity card or a notification of the police in case of loss or theft, the birth certificate and the marriage certificate. As at Tuesday March 14th, there were more than 980,000 active biometric ID cards, including 26,000 in Rodrigues, according to the Ministry of Technology, Innovation and Communication.

On the other hand 12,300 cards are waiting to be collected by their owners, including 204 in Rodrigues. According to information gathered from the heads of the NIC department, 300 new applications are registered every day.