Responses to Information Requests

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Information on voter cards duplicata was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. For information on voter cards, including their appearance, content, security features, uses, and requirements and procedures for obtaining them, see Response to Information Request COD201845 of April 2024.

1. Overview

According to the US Department of State reciprocity schedule, the voter identity card is issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (Commission électorale nationale indépendante, CENI) of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and is the only national identity card available "at present" (US n.d.). The same source notes that this document is "issued during enrollment for elections and is only valid until the next nationwide elections" (US n.d.).

2. Requirements and Procedures for Obtaining a Duplicata Voter Card

Act No. 04/028 of 24 December 2004 Concerning the Identification and Registration of Voters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as Amended and Supplemented by Act No. 16/007 of 29 June 2016 (Loi n° 04/028 du 24 décembre 2004 portant identification et enrôlement des électeurs en République démocratique du Congo telle que modifiée et complétée par la Loi n° 16/007 du 29 juin 2016) provides the following:

[translation]

Article 27: (amended by Article 3 of Act No. 16/007 of 29 June 2016, Amending and Supplementing Act No. 04/028 of 24 December 2004 Concerning the Identification and Registration of Voters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo)

The voter card is valid for the duration of the electoral cycle.

If the voter card is lost during the identification and registration period, the cardholder may request a duplicate card at the registration centre in their jurisdiction.

After this period, the cardholder may do so at the field office (antenne) in their jurisdiction. A duplicate card will be issued if the following conditions are met:

1. The person is registered on the voter list, and their identity is confirmed by their photograph and fingerprints.
2. The person submits a report, prepared by a judicial police officer, on the loss of the card.

The new card will be marked "Duplicata." Attestations and photocopies of the voter card are not accepted for the purpose of voting.

There is no charge for issuing a duplicate card. (DRC 2016)

According to a 2024 press release issued by the CENI, duplicate voter cards are only issued at CENI branches located in the administrative capital of each territory and in cities (DRC 2024-09-10).

The 2024 CENI press release describes the procedure to obtain a duplicate voter identity card as follows:

[translation]

1. The voter who has lost their card must report the loss to a Judicial Police Officer who will issue a report of the loss of the voter card.
2. The voter must then go to the CENI branch that falls under the jurisdiction of their [voter] registration centre and present the police report certifying the loss of the voter card.
3. If the CENI branch head or their delegate confirms that the voter was enrolled at one of the registration centres under the branch's jurisdiction, the voter will be asked to fill out a duplicate request form. (DRC 2024-09-10)
   
   

The same source notes that the issuance of duplicata voter cards is free and that duplicata cards cannot be obtained outside of a CENI branch (DRC 2024-09-10). Radio Okapi, a UN-run radio station in the DRC (Radio Okapi 2014-09-22), indicates that duplicata voter cards are free, but those who have lost their card need to pay 10,000 Congolese Francs [C$6] for the issuance of the police report (Radio Okapi 2024-07-12).

A 2025 CENI press release notes that voters whose cards have become illegible can go directly to the CENI branch within the jurisdiction of their registration centre without needing to present a police report (DRC 2025-07-31).

Radio Okapi reports that in Kinshasa, duplicata voter cards for lost or damaged cards are issued twice per week and 3 times at some sites (2024-07-12). The same source notes that getting a duplicata voter cards is faster than requesting a new card and that in general, it only takes 10 minutes to obtain a duplicata voter card (Radio Okapi 2024-07-12).

A 2025 press release by the CENI also indicates that the CENI has been made aware of a series of attempts to charge money for duplicata voter cards as well as of the existence of networks producing counterfeit duplicata voter cards (DRC 2025-07-31).

3. Appearance and Security Features of the Duplicata Voter Card

Information on the appearance and security features of the duplicate voter card could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 2025-07-31. Commission électorale nationale indépendante (CENI). Communique de presse n° 012/CENI/2025. [Accessed 2026-03-25]

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 2024-09-10. Commission électorale nationale indépendante (CENI). Communique de presse n° 046/CENI/2024. [Accessed 2026-03-25]

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 2016. Loi n° 04/028 du 24 décembre 2004 portant identification et enrôlement des électeurs en République démocratique du Congo telle que modifiée et complétée par la Loi n° 16/007 du 29 juin 2016. [Accessed 2026-03-11]

Radio Okapi. 2024-07-12. "Kinshasa : la délivrance des duplicatas des cartes d'électeurs se fait deux fois par semaine." [Accessed 2026-03-11]

Radio Okapi. 2014-09-22. "À Propos." [Accessed 2026-03-18]

United States (US). N.d. Department of State. "Democratic Republic of Congo Reciprocity Schedule." [Accessed 2026-03-18]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Avocats sans frontières; Comité des observateurs des droits de l'homme; Commission nationale des droits de l'homme; Democratic Republic of the Congo – Embassy in Ottawa, Embassy in Washington, DC; Dynamique des femmes juristes; Héritiers de la justice; Law firms in the Democratic Republic of Congo (5).

Internet sites, including: 7sur7.cd; Actualité.cd; Agence congolaise de presse; Al Jazeera; Amnesty International; Australia – Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Austrian Red Cross – ecoi.net; L'Avenir; Avocats sans frontières; Barron's; BBC; Belgium – Commissariat général aux réfugiés et aux apatrides; Bertelsmann Stiftung; Comité national femme et développement; La Conscience; Democratic Republic of the Congo – Embassy in Ottawa, Embassy in Washington, DC, Embassy in the UK; Deutsche Welle; Digitalcongo.cd; Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC Countries; Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa; EU – EU Agency for Asylum, Public Register of Authentic Identity and Travel Documents Online; France – Office français de protection des réfugiés et apatrides; Freedom House; Human Rights Watch; International Criminal Court; International Crisis Group; International Foundation for Electoral Systems; Jeune Afrique; Keesing Technologies; Kinshasa Times; La libre Afrique; mediacongo.net; Le Monde; Netherlands – Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Le Phare; Le Potentiel; La Prospérité; La Radio-télévision nationale congolaise; Le Soft international; TV5Monde; UK – Home Office; UN – Human Rights Council, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Refworld; Voice of America Afrique; World Bank.