I had the privilege of using the new Cameroon passport production service on its inauguration day today 01 July 2021. I must say, I was quite impressed at the hospitality and the level of professionalism displayed was remarkable.
The New Passport production center is located in the Etoudi neighborhood, just between the Tongolo traffic light after Mbala 2, and the famous Carrefour de la Presidence, on the left. The center is so conspicuous that it can easily be spotted from the main road.
In this article, I’ll give you my personal experience as well as provide a detailed guide on how to apply for the new biometric Cameroon passport in Cameroon.
The application process can be broken down into 3 main steps: You can watch the application process here or proceed to read below
- Online Pre-enrollment Procedure
- Physical enrollment
- Retrieving of Produced Passports
Table of Contents
1. PRE-ENROLLMENT PROCEDURE
My ordinary passport application started with logging into the website https://www.passcam.cm. for an online pre-enrollment procedure. Once in, you’ll be prompted to choose your language(English or French). Then only can you start the enrollment procedure. At this point, choosing a means of communication is of utmost importance. You will have to choose how you like to be notified. There are 2 options by phone number or email address.
I selected the phone number option and then entered my contact number to which a code was sent. The system will request you to enter the code received and validate it at the location indicated on the site. You will need this code to proceed to the pre-registration page. This code would permit you to re-login any time in case you didn’t complete the pre-registration process in one sitting.
Read Also:
- How to apply or renew a Cameroon Passport in the UK
- How to apply for a Cameroon Passport in Dubai
- How every positive action from each of us can help move the needle
Next, on the pre-registration form, you’ll be requested to fill in some General information, Personal information, Parental information, and document information and reasons for applying for the passport.
Upon completion of the personal information form, you will be directed to the fee payment page where you will be prompted to choose payment options: either through mobile money, orange money, express union, Yoomee or Credit Card.
Once the payment is confirmed, you will be re-directed to the appointment page to choose an appointment place, date and time then you validate. A confirmation message and email will be sent with a PDF file to print and bring along on the appointment day with some other certified documents as follows:
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR YOUR CAMEROON PASSPORT APPLICATION IN CAMEROON
– Original ID card + a certified copy of your national ID card (certified at any police station)
– Original Birth Certificate + certified copy of your birth certificate (certified at the council)
– Proof of profession
2. PHYSICAL ENROLLMENT
WHAT TO EXPECT ON YOUR CAMEROON PASSPORT APPLICATION DAY
When you arrive at the Cameroon passport production center or Emi Immigration police stations you should expect the following
- We are still in the pandemic so your temperature will be taken,
- a police officer will verify your physical file with the file submitted online.
- Your photos, fingerprints, signature, and height will be taken.
- Your supporting documents will be digitized which you’ll also have to verify and approve.
- Please note, there is a possibility of rejection. If that happens you will be notified by text message or email with details on how to proceed. If your documents are validated, then your passport will be produced within 48hrs.
- It is also important to note that you can change our physical enrollment date only once. Also, your pre-enrollment procedure can be interrupted and resumed later at the level where it was saved from the code received by email or text message.
- A copy of the PDF file is also sent to your mailbox.
HOW MUCH DOES A CAMEROON PASSPORT COST?
Ordinary Passport Cost: 110,000XAF
Ordinary Passport Validity: 5 Years
3. COLLECTING YOUR CAMEROON PASSPORT
Once your passport is available in your physical enrollment center, you are notified by email or text message. To collect, you will undergo a verification of your identity at your physical enrollment centre.
Your passport can also be collected by a third party provided they have a power of attorney from the applicant duly legalized by the competent office. Six months after production, all uncollected passports will be returned to the Border Police Department.
See screenshot below
MORE INFORMATION ON CAMEROON PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS
Cameroon Passport Requirements for Minors under 15years old
- Pre-enrollment receipt
- Certified Photocopy of the birth certificate
- Proof of social status if applicable
- Parental authorization of one parent or legal guardian or holder of a legalized power of attorney
- National Identity Card(NIC) -certified photocopy of one of the parents, legal guardian or power of attorney to act in place of parents.
Requirements for Minor Applicants between the ages of 15 and 21
- Pre-enrollment receipt
- certified photocopy of the birth certificate
- Certified Photocopy of NIC
- Proof of Social Status if applicable
- Parental authorization of one of the parents or legal guardian or holder of a legalized power of attorney.
- NIC certified photocopy of one of the parents, legal guardian or power of attorney to act in place f the parents or legal guardian.
Cameroon Passport requirements for married Minor
- Pre-enrollment receipt
- Certified copy of the birth certificate
- Certified photocopy of the NIC
- Proof of profession or any socio-professional occupation, if applicable.
- Certified photocopy of the marriage certificate.
Cameroon Passport Requirements for applicants over age 21
- Pre-enrollment receipt
- Certified photocopy of the birth certificate
- Certified photocopy of the NIC
- Proof of Profession or social status if applicable
- Certified photocopy of the marriage certificate for married women over 21years (if applicable).
Has your Cameroon Passport been stolen or lost? These are the renewal requirements
- Pre-enrollment receipt
- copy of lost or stolen passport
- Certificate of declaration of stolen or lost Cameroon passport including the passport number.
- Certified photocopy of the birth certificate( for applicants under the age of 50)
- Certified photocopy of the NIC
- Proof of Profession or social status if applicable
- Certified photocopy of the marriage certificate
We hope this guide has given you a perspective of what to expect and how to apply for your Cameroon passport in Cameroon or around the world. If you found this article helpful, then share it on your favorite social media channel or with your friends on WhatsApp.
Thanks to this new passport, Cameroon is definitely embarking on the path of modernity and reliability.
Connect with us on social media on Facebook and Instagram
This is good. But trust me, I have read a lot of negative reviews. People pay the required cash and are deducted, but the system will reject the application.
What does that mean? Cash is gone! I’d prefer the online registration be done, and when the applicant goes for submission, he/she pays the required sum there.
Thanks for this feedback
Can this process be carried out with a recipe I’d?
If your ID card is expired, you can still use the information on the expired ID to complete the online registration, then take your receipt of the new ID card to the appointment. This is because the space for the ID card number in the online registration process cannot accept the special characters in your new ID receipt
Using an expired I’d card information doesn’t seem to solve the problem for those with renewed I’d card receipts as the space for « I’d card expiry date » only gives room for valid I’d card(non expired I’d card) once it surpasses the 10 years validity period, it doesn’t allow you go to the next step.
Yeah great , this is another pertinent issue, how do u manage the expiry dates assuming your I’d card is expired and you you go in for a new one , is it possible to enroll with an expired piece ?
Alright thanks, assuming your I’d card is missing and you go in for a new one , u can use all information as on the missing piece plus the production and expiry dates right? And just present the new piece
Yes, that’s right. For your physical appointment, you must have a certificate of loss for the old ID (from the police) + the new ID receipt + the photocopy of the lost ID card to complete your file.
Hello ma’am. I just did my physical enrolment and just got an email barely 24hours later telling me my passport renewal application has been rejected. I live in England. The message tells me to go to frontier police department. But I checked and saw they are in Cameroon. What do you reckon I do next?? I’m so confused. I have never done these immigration processes on my own before.
Thanks but in the this case the old LD card is missing and only the certificate of lost is with you can’t you present it the center.
I did the application and paid and somehow i cant log in again to complete it
Hello Merlin, please refer to this detailed account https://passportsbeyondborders.com/2021/07/01/new-cameroon-passport/
I hope it provides the answers you need.
My money was deducted twice for the same pre enrollment. How can I retrieve my money?
I was in yde for the physical enrollment but after getting I realized an error on my name please how can it be rectify please I need help
I went in for my new passport as a minor submitted all documents ask then took my photo and fingerprints after two days I received a mail that my application has been rejected.then I went to the office fir further info and was said my file rejected due to parent procouration,so I provide the documents then later to open my file on the machine system say am not having any file means my information in the system is not.right now I am frustrated
Hello, am facing a similar experience. I applied and did everything but got a message my application was rejected. my question is do I need to start the process again or I have to do something else really frustrated because I dont know if i do another it will cause issues for me. please somebody help.
CAN one apply for a passport using NIC receipts. I applied for NIC since 2020 and i have not had the original till date. What are the uptions I have to renew my passport
PLease anyone, I lost my ID, what can I do in other to renew my passport? Can I use the photocopy of the lost document and the declaration form for the lost ID? I equally read a certificate of Nationality can be use if no ID. Is this true?
Hello Gaitan, first you will have to apply for a new ID card. You can use the new ID receipt and a certified** declaration of loss document to complete your file.
To complete the enrollment in the passport system online, you can use number of the lost ID card to enroll.
Please note – It is not possible to use a certificate of Nationality, because it doesn’t contain the information needed to enroll in the passport system.
Hello can someone tell me what to do. I did the online registration and followed the process up to the stage where I paid the passport fee. But after paying the fee the system did not give me the option to schedule for a physical appointment. I have sent several emails but no response. I am currently not based in Cameroon to go to the passport center and find out and the guys are not replying my emails. I am stuck at that position for two weeks now.
Hi Leo, try to open the website again and use same number or email that you started your application with, once it’s done the will still send you a code, once you input the code it will take you to the scheduling page. I also face same issue but i followed the steps i mentioned to you and it was possible to get the scheduling page.
Greetings madam what if I lost my old I’d card and I did a new one using my old I’d card information but the original of the new I’d card is not out can I do the passport with the receipt I’d card?
Yes, you absolutely can. You can attach a photocopy of your old ID card and your new ID card receipt to establish proof that your New ID card is in progress.
Good morning madam. i lost my old id card so i went for a new one right now am trying to enroll for a passport and there are asking me for my id card number of which i have just the receipt which contains the long digits of numbers as my id card number but the system is rejecting it. so please how can i go about it our is it not possible to use the receipt for the online enrollment process
Hello Bruno, you can enter the ID number of your lost ID card in the system to be able to complete your online enrollment to get an appointment. In your physical file, be sure to add a certified** declaration of loss and also the new ID card receipt. If not your file MAY be rejected.
Goodmorning Mam
Please is it possible to apply for passport with ID card receipt,my id got expired and i deed a new one, since then,the original is not yet out.
And again,what is the next step if my documents are rejected after paying the money
Can one do this same process if the old card is expired madam? My old id expired and i did a new one since 2020 till today the original is not coming out. What can i do in this case to get a passport please.. Note the expired caed is also missing but i have photocopies
Hello Pauk, you can get a declaration of loss for the old ID card. What you need importantly is the ID card number. You can enter the old ID card number on the pre-enrollment site(passcam.cm)to get an appointment. If possible, certify your new ID receipt.
But the declaration of loss + photocopy of the old ID + the receipt of the new ID should be sufficient.
if you do not have a valid NIC, please be aware that you can select the “Blank” option from
the drop-down list and skip this step.
Thanks
Good morning madam. After submitting my application , I remembered my occupation on my ID card is APPLICANT (without occupation) meanwhile the information I gave has BUSINESSMAN as my occupation.
Could that cause my application to be rejected?? I’m yet to go for physical enrollment.
I do not think that should be an issue. Have you got any supporting documents to prove your occupation as a Businessman?
I have a valid passport which is the old system but is left just 1yr can I make a new passport and will the old one still be valid
Please , how can I change my appointment date of physical enrollment
I have 2 preoccupations;
Firstly when you use information on an expired id card for the passport backed with the receipt of the new one in progress, what do you consider as expiry date ? The one on the expired I’d card or the new one ?
Secondly if your I’d card is missing and you don’t have a copy but you proceed in doing another I’d card with same information on the previous I’d card , is it possible to enroll with information on missing I’d card though you have no copy of it ?
Hi! Please I got a problem with my application process. After the payment for my husband’s passport, I was to be re-directed to the application page to schedule an enrollment appointment which it didn’t but the receipt of payment was sent. At this point, what must I do please
Try logging in 24hrs later and see if that lets you progress with your application.
Hello ma’am greetings to you.i submitted all docs during enrollment correctly but I changed my phone numbers because during pre enrollment online I used my camtel number that’s were I received all the messages but on the day of my physical enrollment I lost my phone so I used my mtn number instead
So
I’m worried will that change or affect the processing of my passport ?
What was the MTN number used for during the physical enrollment? If you selected to be contacted by text message during pre-enrollment, then that’s how you’d receive notification your passport is ready for collection.
Hello madam, Greeting…please I have a problem with my online enrollment….I have a mixed-up on my given name and my surname….so please I wish to know if it can be corrected on the physical enrolment day.
Bonsoir tata stp j’ai effectué mon dépôt physique mercredi le 25 janvier 2023 à Douala nous sommes lundi et pas de nouvelles
Hello mam,
I have two questions.
Firstly, my id is expired since 2020 and I know just the id number. No photocopy. What should I do if I have the receipt of the new one I just applied?
2ndly what option should I take if my present passport is still valid for a year and I want to make a new one please?
Thanks
If the ID card is lost, then you need to do a certificate of loss, and submit it together with the receipt of the new ID in progress.
Secondly, you can only apply for a new passport if it’s less than 6 months before the expiry of the passport.
Hello ma’am greetings, please I don’t have a the original I’d card just the laissez passe’.So I want to ask if there’s any way my passport can still be processed without the original I’d card. I’m currently 21years old
Good evening Madame I have a problem with my i d card the first one was I was missing since 2013 and when making the second one there was a mistake with dates since then my i d card has never been out I’m using but the receipt of the one I make and now I want to make a passport, I don’t know where to start from now
Hello ma’am please are we to certify the certificate of loss or receipt of new I’d card
Yes you have this certify this document
Very enlightening article. Please when applying for a renewal of an old passport, how long does it take and what documents are you to take to the agency?
You can’t renew an old passport. You would simply have to make a new one and you can follow the process in this article. Hope that helps.
thank you
Please I wish to ask if the birth certificate must be certified only at the council or can you do it in the D.O’s office?
Yes, you can certify at the D.O’s office as well
My ID card expired in January
I have a new ID receipt
should I certify the new ID receipt and take to my appointment?
Pls I wish to ask
Ive never had an original id
Ive just the receipt
How can I apply online for the passport
Pls I wish to ask
If you have just the receipt
Can you apply??
Hello ma, I did the physical enrollment it’s been 4 days now, I haven’t received any message or information if my passport is out or not, please what could be the problem or steps I can follow
Pls I wish to ask
If you have just the receipt
how can you apply for the passport?
I wish to enquire if it is necessary for one of the parent of a minor to satisfy the NIC after sending an authorization for someone to help apply for the kids passport while out of the country? Because the one whose name is on the authorization is having his NID with him but still they requesting for a satisfied copy of the NIC of one of the parents.
Hello Please i did my online registration process and missed the date schedule for my physical enrollment please what can i do in this situation i am in Germany
Hello Effim, you will have to re enroll yourself online. Your application fee paid is non refundable and non transferable as per the terms and conditions unfortunately.
What do you do if your original NIC just expired?
have 2 preoccupations;
Firstly when you use information on an expired id card for the passport backed with the receipt of the new one in progress, what do you consider as expiry date ? The one on the expired I’d card or the new one ?
Secondly if your I’d card is missing and you don’t have a copy but you proceed in doing another I’d card with same information on the previous I’d card , is it possible to enroll with information on missing I’d card though you have no copy of it ?
Please ma can someone do the online enrollment with the receipt of his/ID card? It’s the person’s first time to do the ID card and the original isn’t out yet. Is it possible to enroll?
Greetings all. Please, if your “place of birth” as indicated on the birth certificate and other official documents, is not on the passport portal, what can I do?