The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Foreign Ministry has clarified the official price, application procedure and delivery period for the country’s biometric passport.
The passport costs $75, and an application begins online. Applicants can pay through an authorised bank, by bank card or through Mobile Money, according to the ministry’s clarification published on July 26.
A Numéro d’identification fiscale, commonly called a NIF, must be obtained before the passport application can be completed.
The ministry says a properly submitted 2026 application should be processed within no more than 15 days after the NIF has been obtained and the payment validated.
However, other information currently published on the ministry’s official website gives different delivery periods depending on the applicant’s location. Congolese citizens should therefore pay close attention to the timeline communicated by their capture centre, embassy or consulate.
The July announcement is a clarification of an existing passport system. It is not a new passport launch or a fresh reduction in price.
The biometric passport was officially launched on June 5, 2025, with its price reduced from $99 to $75 at that time.
What the government clarified
The new communiqué responds to continuing public questions about how much the passport costs, whether the process is digital and how long delivery should take.
According to the clarification reproduced by DeskEco, the main rules are:
CITIZEN SERVICES
DRC Passport Rules: $75 Fee and Online Process
Jul 27, 2026
Aug 18, 2026
14 min read
Published
Updated:
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Foreign Ministry has clarified the official price, application procedure and delivery period for the country’s biometric passport.
The passport costs $75, and an application begins online. Applicants can pay through an authorised bank, by bank card or through Mobile Money, according to the ministry’s clarification published on July 26.
A Numéro d’identification fiscale, commonly called a NIF, must be obtained before the passport application can be completed.
The ministry says a properly submitted 2026 application should be processed within no more than 15 days after the NIF has been obtained and the payment validated.
However, other information currently published on the ministry’s official website gives different delivery periods depending on the applicant’s location. Congolese citizens should therefore pay close attention to the timeline communicated by their capture centre, embassy or consulate.
The July announcement is a clarification of an existing passport system. It is not a new passport launch or a fresh reduction in price.
The biometric passport was officially launched on June 5, 2025, with its price reduced from $99 to $75 at that time.
What the government clarified
The new communiqué responds to continuing public questions about how much the passport costs, whether the process is digital and how long delivery should take.
According to the clarification reproduced by DeskEco, the main rules are:
the official passport price is $75;
the application is initiated online;
payment can be made through a bank, by bank card or through Mobile Money;
the applicant must first obtain a NIF;
the NIF process is separate from passport production; and
a compliant 2026 application should be delivered within no more than 15 days after payment is validated.
The ministry also says the DGI should provide a NIF within 24 to 48 hours. That period is not included in the stated 15-day passport-production time.
This means an applicant should not begin counting the passport deadline from the moment they first request a NIF.
The passport clock begins only after the required preliminary steps have been completed, the passport application has been properly submitted and the payment has been validated.
The Foreign Ministry’s official services page confirms the same amount and identifies Equity BCDC as the partner bank for over-the-counter payment. The ministry also permits online payment.
How to apply for the DRC biometric passport
The ministry’s official passport FAQ describes the process in several stages.
Although registration and payment are digital, the complete process is not entirely remote. Identity verification and biometric capture still require the applicant to appear in person.
Step 1: Obtain a NIF
The applicant must first obtain a Numéro d’identification fiscale from the Direction générale des impôts, or DGI.
The ministry directs applicants to the DGI’s official online services for the NIF process.
Applicants should make sure the name, date of birth and other identity information used for the NIF match the documents that will be presented for the passport application.
An error or difference in spelling could require correction and delay the later stages.
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According to the July 26 clarification, the NIF should be provided within 24 to 48 hours. This is the ministry’s stated administrative target, not a guarantee that every individual request will be completed within that period.
Step 2: Register on the official passport platform
After obtaining the NIF, the applicant enters the required personal information on the official DRC passport application portal.
The ministry’s FAQ says the applicant should receive an email containing:
a QR code with encrypted application data; and
a reference for paying the passport fee.
The applicant should check that the website address ends in passeport.gouv.cd before entering personal information.
Links sent through WhatsApp, Facebook or an unknown agent should not be trusted automatically, even when they display government logos.
Step 3: Pay the official $75 fee
Use the payment reference produced by the application.
The government says payment may be made:
at an authorised bank counter;
online by bank card; or
through Mobile Money.
The ministry’s service page specifically names Equity BCDC as the partner bank for over-the-counter payments.
Keep the payment confirmation, transaction reference, QR code and every email received during the application.
Do not send a Mobile Money PIN, one-time validation code or account password to a person claiming to work for the passport service.
An authorised payment may require the account holder to approve a transaction through the operator’s normal system. It should not require the applicant to disclose a secret code to an agent.
Step 4: Complete the document and identity checks
The ministry’s FAQ says the applicant must present the required personal documents for verification and approval by the competent services, including the National Intelligence Agency, or ANR.
The ministry’s services page lists the following basic documents:
a completed passport application form;
a copy of the biographical page of the current or previous Congolese passport;
a police report or birth certificate when the previous passport was lost or stolen; and
two recent passport photographs measuring 2 by 2 inches.
Requirements can differ for a first application, a minor, a lost passport, a name change or an application made abroad.
Applicants should confirm the complete list with their chosen capture centre, embassy or consulate before travelling to the appointment.
Step 5: Attend the biometric-capture appointment
The applicant must appear at the designated enrolment centre with the required authorisation, QR code, payment proof and identity documents.
The biometric stage records the data needed for the passport. It cannot be completed by an agent on the applicant’s behalf.
The Foreign Ministry says the new passport includes a contactless RFID chip, a polycarbonate data page, holograms and watermarks intended to strengthen security and reduce counterfeiting.
Step 6: Collect the passport
The passport is collected at the capture location, embassy or consulate according to the instructions given to the applicant.
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Applicants should keep their application and payment references until the document has been received and checked.
When collecting the passport, verify the spelling of the name, date and place of birth, sex, passport number, date of issue and expiry date before leaving.
How long should delivery take?
The July 26 clarification says the official delivery period should not exceed 15 days for a properly completed 2026 application after the NIF has been obtained and payment validated.
The ministry’s official services page currently lists location-specific periods:
Kinshasa: 10 working days;
Provinces: 14 working days; and
Outside the DRC: 28 working days.
The ministry’s passport FAQ gives another description, saying the process should take one week after the administrative steps have been completed.
These periods are not identical.
The 15-day clarification also does not specify on the reproduced communiqué whether it means calendar days or working days, while the service page explicitly uses working days.
For that reason, XTRAfrica cannot responsibly promise every applicant a passport within one universal deadline.
The safest interpretation is:
obtain the NIF before expecting passport production to begin;
complete the application and validate the payment;
attend every required identity and biometric appointment;
keep evidence of the date each step was completed; and
ask the capture centre, embassy or consulate which official deadline applies to that location.
The Foreign Ministry should update its public pages so that the communiqué, services page and FAQ provide one consistent explanation.
What happened to the old applications?
When the new system was launched on June 5, 2025, the ministry inherited applications recorded under the previous platform.
According to the July clarification, 111,905 passports connected to those older applications were converted and printed in less than five months.
The ministry says that transitional phase was completed in January 2026.
The 15-day statement therefore concerns properly submitted applications under the current 2026 procedure, not the historic backlog transferred from the old system.
This distinction helps explain why an applicant’s earlier experience may not match the timeline now being advertised.
Are existing Congolese passports still valid?
The launch of the biometric passport did not automatically cancel every passport issued under the previous system.
The Foreign Ministry says holders may continue using an existing passport until its individual expiry date. The ministry has said the old and new passport systems will coexist until 2030.
Travellers should still check that their passport satisfies the entry rules of the destination country.
Many countries and airlines require a passport to remain valid for several months beyond the planned travel date. That is a destination requirement, not a change in the DRC passport price.
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What diaspora applicants should know
Congolese citizens outside the country can apply through an authorised embassy or consulate offering the passport service.
The ministry’s services page lists 28 working days as the official delivery period outside the DRC.
Diaspora applicants should contact the responsible diplomatic mission before making travel plans and confirm:
whether passport enrolment is active at that location;
whether an appointment is required;
the documents required for adults and minors;
the accepted method of payment;
whether any separately authorised local administrative charge applies;
where biometric capture takes place;
how the passport will be collected; and
which delivery period the mission is currently applying.
Do not buy a non-refundable ticket based only on an expected passport date.
Production, diplomatic transport, local appointment capacity and public holidays may affect the date on which a document becomes available abroad.
How applicants can avoid false agents and unofficial fees
A digital application can reduce unnecessary middlemen, but it can also create new opportunities for phishing and impersonation.
Applicants should follow these safety rules:
Use official web addresses
Start the passport application at passeport.gouv.cd and access NIF services through the DGI’s dgirdc.cd domain.
Do not assume that a website is official because it contains the Congolese flag, a ministry logo or a photograph of a government official.
Do not pay for a promised shortcut
An agent cannot legally guarantee security approval, biometric capture or delivery ahead of the official process.
A demand for an extra payment to “unlock,” “validate” or “accelerate” a file should be verified directly with the ministry or diplomatic mission.
Protect QR codes and payment references
Application emails, QR codes and transaction references contain information that could be misused.
Do not post them publicly or forward them to people who are not authorised to handle the application.
Keep a complete record
Save copies of the NIF confirmation, passport application, appointment message, payment receipt, biometric-capture evidence and collection notice.
These records can help identify the stage at which a delay occurred.
Verify information independently
If a message claims that the fee, deadline or application website has changed, check the Foreign Ministry’s website or contact the relevant embassy or consulate through details obtained from an official government page.
Do not verify a suspicious message by calling the telephone number contained in the same message.
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