Algeria to issue biometric identity card in two weeks

Director of the National Center of Biometric Documents Hassan Boualam said the first biometric national card will be issued before the end of January.

The process will be carried out progressively in some municipalities before it is generalized in all over Algeria. A total of 20,000 biometric cards are expected to be withdrawn so that Algerians would not use paper cards within three years.

Boualam told Echorouk the process of replacing old identity cards is underway in high security. It is handled by two centers based in Algiers and the province in Laghouat.

He added that the new card will represent a family book and will enable Algerians to withdraw citizenship documents without bureaucracy.

The new card will also protect people’s identity and data. It will fight counterfeiting, cybercrimes and terrorism. It will be a key to enter the government’s electronic portal.

Boualam said the card will take in consideration all the data on people’s social situation in all the sectors. It will be used in security surveillance in airports, ports, official institutions, public administration and electronic payment.

“The old card will remain valid in the next three or five years until all the Algerians get the new card,” he told Echorouk.

The new card will be in a small size. It will include the Republic logo, a registration number, issuing authority, issue and expiry date, name, date and place of birth, gender and a photo. It will be valid for ten years.

According to the same source, talks are held between the interior ministry, the Central Bank’s monetary fund and the official printing press to withdraw a 50-page-biometric passport.

“The new copy of the passport is optional,” he said.

Figures show that a total of 7 million and 200,000 biometric passports including 1 million in 2015.

The interior and foreign ministries will send 18 agents to general consulates this week to speed up biometric passports acquisition by Algerians living abroad.   

Algerian plans to issue an electronic driving licence, said the same source.