I lost my national ID card in Cameroon: the full 2026 procedure
Lost or stolen national ID card? Loss declaration, pre-enrolment on idcam.cm, required documents, the real 10,000 FCFA cost and times. Decree 2025/059.
9 min read
You have searched the bag, turned the room upside down, called the taxi driver. Your national ID card is gone.
Here is exactly what to do, in order, and what it really costs. Everything in this guide comes from Decree No. 2025/059 of 28 February 2025 setting out the characteristics and the procedures for issuing identity documents, published by the Delegation General for National Security (DGSN).
Before spending 10,000 FCFA: check whether your card has been found
A lost ID card is not always lost to everyone. Very often someone picks it up and simply has no way of reaching you.
Rendoc is a free Cameroonian platform that connects people who have lost a document with those who have found one. The search takes two minutes and exposes none of your personal data.
If your card turns up, you save 10,000 FCFA, several trips and several weeks of waiting. If it does not, you can file a report in one minute and run the procedure below in parallel. The two do not cancel each other out.
Step 1: obtain the attestation of loss declaration
This is the document that unlocks everything else. Without it, your duplicate application cannot be filed.
Where to go
The decree states that the attestation is issued by any National Security service. In practice this means your nearest police station. You do not have to return to the town or district where the card was originally issued.
What the attestation must contain
The decree is specific on this point, and it matters: an incomplete attestation will be rejected at the enrolment post and you will have to make the trip again. Before leaving the police station, check that the document includes:
- your unique identification number issued by National Security;
- your surname and first names;
- your date and place of birth;
- your parentage (father's and mother's names);
- the number and reference of the identification post that issued the lost, stolen or damaged card.
The advice nobody gives
Ask for several copies of the attestation from the outset. You will need one for the ID card duplicate, but most likely also for your bank, your Mobile Money operator and your employer. Going back to the police station a second time means another trip.
What it costs
The decree sets no fee for issuing this attestation. If an amount is requested, you are entitled to ask on what legal basis it rests, and to ask for a receipt.
Step 2: online pre-enrolment on idcam.cm
The decree is unambiguous: the application is made through compulsory online pre-enrolment on www.idcam.cm, save for express exemption granted by the Delegate General for National Security.
You therefore cannot simply walk into an identification post without completing this step.
- 1
Create your account
Go to idcam.cm, choose your language, then create your account with a phone number or an email address you actually have access to. That is the channel through which you will be notified.
- 2
Select the reason for your application
Choose the case of loss, theft or damage. Do not select "first application", the required file is not the same.
- 3
Enter your civil status details
Check the spelling of your names and your date of birth twice. An error here will force you to start the whole procedure over later.
- 4
Pay the stamp duty
The amount is 10,000 FCFA, payable online. Keep the payment receipt.
- 5
Download and print your slip
Without this slip, physical enrolment cannot take place. Save a copy on your phone as well.
- 6
Choose your enrolment post
The decree specifies that enrolment takes place at the enrolment or identification post of your choice. Pick the closest or the least crowded one, not necessarily the one in your neighbourhood.
Step 3: physical enrolment
You attend your chosen post with your pre-enrolment slip and your file. This is where your biometric data is captured.
Documents required in case of loss, theft or damage
The decree lists exactly three items:
| Document | Detail |
|---|---|
| Attestation of loss, theft or damage declaration | Issued by a National Security service, with the five compulsory particulars listed above |
| Photocopy of the national ID card | The decree refers to the damaged card. In case of loss, bring a photocopy or a photo if you kept one, as it will speed up processing |
| Copy of the birth certificate | Or birth certificate extract, supplementary court ruling, or family record book, signed by the competent authorities |
What replacing a lost ID card actually costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| ID card stamp duty | 10,000 FCFA |
| Attestation of loss declaration | No fee set by the decree |
| Copy of birth certificate | Varies by council or court registry |
| Certificate of nationality | Not required in case of loss |
You will find figures of 15,500 FCFA, 2,850 FCFA or 2,800 FCFA in stamps to be bought from the Public Treasury circulating online. These come either from the pre-2025 system or from adding up unrelated ancillary costs. The official stamp duty is 10,000 FCFA, payable online during pre-enrolment.
How long does it take
The DGSN announces issuance within 48 hours of physical enrolment, with notification by SMS.
Let us be honest: that timeframe describes the system running nominally. User reports since launch point to variable delays, particularly outside regional capitals and during peak periods. Plan generously, especially if you have travel, an exam or a banking deadline coming up.
Keep your receipt carefully. It is handed to you at enrolment and allows you to carry out a number of formalities provisionally while you wait for your card.
Special cases provided for by the decree
You no longer have any documents at all
This is a common situation and one that is rarely documented. The decree addresses it explicitly.
You must attach to your application an attestation of civil status issued by the Civil Status Registrar of your presumed place of birth. That attestation is drawn up after a formal hearing recorded in minutes involving:
- the head of the administrative district;
- the traditional ruler of the locality;
- and two witnesses who are members of your family.
Where there is serious doubt as to your age, a medico-legal certificate of apparent age may additionally be required.
Issuance can be suspended
The decree provides for two grounds of suspension, decided by the Delegate General for National Security:
- suspected fraud regarding Cameroonian nationality;
- a late application, meaning filing a first ever ID card application after the age of 30.
The decision must be reasoned and notified to you. You may petition the Delegate General, attaching everything that establishes your nationality or explains the delay.
What to know about the ID card itself
- Holding one is compulsory for every Cameroonian citizen aged 18 and over.
- Those under 18 may apply where there is a genuine need, as assessed by the Delegate General for National Security.
- It is valid for 10 years.
- The holder must present it whenever authorised officers request it.
- The new document is made of secure polycarbonate, is biometric and machine-readable, carries a machine-readable zone and a VDS QR code, and complies with ICAO Doc 9303.
How to avoid a repeat
- Photograph your ID card front and back today and keep the image in secure storage. That is what will allow you to supply the card number and issuing post if you lose it.
- Note your unique identification number separately.
- Do not carry your ID card, your passport and your bank card in the same wallet.
- Report any loss on Rendoc immediately. The sooner you report, the better the chance that whoever found your card can reach you.