Republic of Cameroon · humanitarian
Refugee Card
By Sam Parks · Last reviewed:
Cameroon's refugee identity card for foreign nationals who benefit from asylum, valid for two years and exempt from stamp duty.
- Processing time
- DGSN says refugee-card establishment and renewal follow a special derogatory procedure fixed by particular texts.
- Government fees
- DGSN says refugee-card issuance and renewal are exempt from stamp duties.
- Typical duration
- Two years.
- Sponsorship required
- No
- Leads to permanent residency
- No
Overview
DGSN says the refugee card is an official document issued to any foreigner who benefits from asylum, and possession is compulsory for foreign nationals benefiting from asylum on Cameroonian territory. The card is valid for two years. DGSN says the procedure is derogatory and set by special texts. Issuance is subject to a card delivered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and a refugee attestation delivered by the minister responsible for foreign affairs. Renewal requires the refugee attestation and old refugee card, each valid at least one month before expiry. DGSN states that issuance and renewal are exempt from stamp duties.
Eligibility
Typical criteria
- ✓The applicant is a foreign national who benefits from asylum in Cameroon.Delegation Generale a la Surete Nationale (DGSN), Cameroon ↗
- ✓For issuance, the applicant has a card delivered by UNHCR.Delegation Generale a la Surete Nationale (DGSN), Cameroon ↗
- ✓For issuance, the applicant has a refugee attestation delivered by the minister responsible for foreign affairs.Delegation Generale a la Surete Nationale (DGSN), Cameroon ↗
- ✓For renewal, the refugee attestation and old refugee card are valid at least one month before expiry.Delegation Generale a la Surete Nationale (DGSN), Cameroon ↗
Common blockers
- !The applicant does not yet have the UNHCR card or foreign-affairs refugee attestation required by DGSN.Delegation Generale a la Surete Nationale (DGSN), Cameroon ↗
- !The old refugee card or refugee attestation is not valid at least one month before expiry for renewal.Delegation Generale a la Surete Nationale (DGSN), Cameroon ↗
- !The applicant treats the refugee-card page as the asylum-recognition process itself rather than the identity-card documentation step.Delegation Generale a la Surete Nationale (DGSN), Cameroon ↗
Typical evidence
- ·UNHCR card.Delegation Generale a la Surete Nationale (DGSN), Cameroon ↗
- ·Refugee attestation delivered by the minister responsible for foreign affairs.Delegation Generale a la Surete Nationale (DGSN), Cameroon ↗
- ·Old refugee card for renewal.Delegation Generale a la Surete Nationale (DGSN), Cameroon ↗
- ·Current refugee attestation for renewal.Delegation Generale a la Surete Nationale (DGSN), Cameroon ↗
Application pathway
Check the route fit
Confirm asylum/refugee recognition and obtain the UNHCR and foreign-affairs evidence.
Build the evidence pack
Use the DGSN special refugee-card process for issuance.
Submit through the official channel
For renewal, file while both the attestation and old card are valid at least one month before expiry.
After approval
Keep the issued refugee card as the identity document for asylum status in Cameroon.
Official application links
Where to actually go next
These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.
- ChecklistApplicantRead DGSN refugee-card requirements ↗
Use this official Cameroon source to confirm the current requirements, filing channel and evidence for read dgsn refugee-card requirements.
Delegation Generale a la Surete Nationale (DGSN), Cameroon · verified
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Frequently asked questions
How long is the Cameroon refugee card valid?+
DGSN says the refugee card is valid for two years.
Is there a stamp duty for the refugee card?+
No. DGSN says issuance and renewal of the refugee card are exempt from stamp duties.
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