DRC cuts biometric passport price, adds online enrollment with new supplier Dermalog

Citizens of Congo-Kinshasa will be able to apply for the country’s new biometric passport by the end of this week as the country moves towards introducing upgraded identity documents. The new passport, featuring an RFID chip that stores biometric data and other security features, was officially unveiled on Tuesday last week.

German biometrics firm Dermalog was awarded the US$48 million contract in 2022 following months of speculation. IN Groupe, Pangea, Toppan, ANY Security Printing, Poltech Electronic and Gateway also bid for the contract which included both enrollment for passports as well as a personalization system for producing each credential.

The price of an ordinary biometric passport has also dropped significantly, to $75. The price of biometric passports in Congo soared under Semlex, to $185, a price Reuters says was among the most expensive. It was reduced to $99 in 2019.

The upgrade is part of the government’s public services digitalization plan, which means that citizens will be able to apply for the document online. Almost 70 percent of travel document procedures are still conducted offline. The digitization effort is meant to streamline these processes and increase the reliability of civil registries.

The Central African state has established biometric capture centers in provincial capitals, with 50 fixed and mobile stations deployed across the country, all with fingerprint and iris scanners, facial recognition cameras, document scanners and signature pads. Another 50 mobile biometric capture units have been deployed to DR Congo’s diplomatic missions.

Dermalog says the system will be able to issue up to 2,400 passports a day.

“We are proud to have accompanied this project as a partner. Our solution supports the country’s digital sovereignty and offers maximum security and efficiency,” explains Günther Mull, CEO of Dermalog.

In the future, the biometric passport will allow access to online services such as e-visas and civil status documents. The travel document could also contribute to an interoperable national database, which will be used for border services, migration and social planning. To realize this plan, however, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) still needs to establish a legal framework for data protection as well as a robust digital identification infrastructure, according to We Are Tech Africa.

Aside from the RFID chip, the new passport has a polycarbonate page and incorporates visual security elements such as holograms, UV inks and watermarks to prevent forgery. The document complies with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) ISO/IEC 39794 biometric standard and will ensure Congolese citizens will have both free movement and data protection, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner.

In February, the country announced a deal to set up its national digital ID program with Singaporean firm Trident to serve as the foundation of its digital government plan. The company is due to develop and deploy an integrated digital identity verification and authentication system, based on a secure infrastructure that will serve as the digital government foundation. The first phase of the public-private partnership kicked off in April.

This post was updated at 10:07am Eastern on June 16, 2025 to include additional details and a comment from Dermalog.

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometric passport  |  biometrics  |  Democratic Republic of Congo  |  DERMALOG  |  identity document  |  travel documents