玩偶姐姐

@dvanb

I only had to go through PMO because I wasn't born in Mauritius. Even though I already have the old laminated version of the ID card, it didn't matter. The new biometric ID cards will have a digital paper trail attached to it showing how you obtained Mauritian citizenship (through birth/descent/naturalisation etc), so I had to go and prove my rights to a citizenship. You won't need to do all that as you were born there. They may however ask you to go and obtain a newly dated birth certificate at the Civil Status Office in Port Louis. If you do need this, remember to go and buy a Rs 25 stamps from the Post Office as this is needed for the new certificate. Good luck!

I managed to get to the PMO yesterday. I couldn't make it very early but got there around 11.15am. The people in the waiting room weren't all there for the citizenship office so it was hard to guess if I was going to be waiting for a while. Surprisingly, I was seen within 5 minutes. I gave a full history of my case and showed all the documents I had. After a little while, I was given a declaration form and on the reverse, the lady had ticked all the documents she had seen and what others she now needed. I was sent to the Civil Status Office (a couple of buildings away) to obtain a current birth certificate for each of my parents (both Mauritians) and was asked to return with those, and photocopies of all docs i had shown. All applications require recently dated Mauritian birth certificates (dated within the last 3 months). I had already made copies in the UK of all my docs, so I only needed to go and get the new birth certificates and make copies of those.

On arrival at the Civil Status Office, there was a long queue but it was moving. I was advised to firstly go and purchase 2 x Rs.25 postage stamps (one for each certificate) before joining the queue. The Post Office was in the same building just round the corner and they had a separate counter for the stamps which didn't have a queue, so it was quick. I went back to join the queue at the Civil Status Office. When it was eventually my turn, I had to recount my life story and I was allowed to obtain two new birth certificates for my parents. I then popped to the photocopying shop (a few doors away across the road) and it cost me Rs.3 per copy.

Finally, I went back to the PMO and I was the only one in the waiting room. I was seen by the same lady within 10 minutes of waiting and I showed her all the documents and photocopies. She asked me to complete and sign the declaration form, and said my PMO letter would be sent directly to the National Identity Card office in Port Louis in two days and that I could go to the ID office to renew my ID card at that point onwards. I was done by 1.30pm, so not too bad really.

Fingers crossed the letter will be there when I go back to Port Louis for the application. I will apparently need to bring all my original documents again. I'll keep you updated!

@carinagloria, congratulations on the great progress.聽 Looks like you are well under way in the process.聽

Please remember to celebrate after you have received your card.

Hello. Here's a little update.

As instructed by the PMO, I went to the National Identity Centre in Port Louis (it was around 10.15am) and on arrival I explained to the person standing at the doors that I was told to come there by the PMO to apply for my ID renewal as there is a letter waiting for me that was sent to them. The lady went and checked a list and confirmed my name was on there and I was asked to join a queue and she gave me an entry ticket. This queue took a little while to move as there were some 15-20 people in front of me. When it was my turn to enter the building, I was asked to wait on a set of seats and to listen out for tellers calling the next person. Someone called for the next person and I went ahead, and when I explained that I was here after a PMO letter had been sent here, the person asked if I had gone upstairs to collect the letter. I said I was not asked to do that but was instead told to merely join the queue. Then I was told to go upstairs. One of the people who "assist" at the doors overheard and said that I (and two other people in my situation who were also there after a visit to the PMO) should wait in a slightly separate place because the one and only member of staff who dealt with the registration under PMO letters had been called to go to court and we would need to wait for their return. No one else there could do that job in his absence! This was around 10.55 and we had to wait around 30 minutes.

By the way, you're not allowed to use your phone when in the building and you can't have a companion with you once inside - they have to wait outside.

Finally, the man returned and things ran a bit more smoothly thereafter. He already had the printed PMO letters on his desk and I just had to produce all my original documents. He then completed the ID renewal registration form on his computer and asked me to check the details on the screen, and afterwards told me to go back (with all my docs, now also accompanied by the PMO letter) to the seats downstairs, where I can go and get my photo taken, fingerprints taken, and give a sample signature.

Again, I joined the seating area downstairs waiting for someone to call the next person. Immediately someone called but when they saw the PMO letter in my hand, they said I had to wait roughly 15 minutes for the computer system upstairs to speak to the computer system downstairs! I am not sure this was genuine and I suspect it's because it was nearly lunchtime and that the process under a PMO letter isn't as straightforward as other ID applications! Eventually, I put my foot down and said it had to be ok for someone to deal with this and someone did then call me over. After a little bit of checking with a colleague, going back upstairs to the man who completed my application, the teller eventually managed the paperwork (after I gave him all the original papers again), and found the registration form on the system which was completed by the man upstairs, and proceeded to take my photo and fingerprints.

He then gave me the bad news that I would need to go to the other waiting area to give my sample signature and the finalalise the application, but that everyone on that side had now gone to lunch and that I would need to go and come back! I asked how long this would mean, considering that I already had to wait for so long earlier, and he said around 30 mins. He spoke to the assistant at the door to say I'm to be let back in and they asked if I still had my entry ticket from earlier, which I did. They put a note on the back of it and said I can just come straight through when I come back.

However, the man who has dealt with the PMO letter upstairs had overheard this, and said he would deal with the signature and last part of the application himself in the staff's absence. He sat himself behind one of the desks where he then called me over, brought up my application on the screen, asked me to sign on the digital pad, and finally asked me to check the final version of the application on the screen, double checking all spellings and dates, and when all was confirmed, he submitted the application. He printed a collection receipt and said that I could come and collect the ID in 7 days onwards. This last part didn't take very long at all, and聽 that man was very helpful.

I left the building at around 1pm.

I think it helped that I could express myself (not rudely) in English, French and Creole when things were getting a little annoying or confusing. Sometimes the system can work surprisingly well, but other times, what appears to be a simple task, isn't! Patience and politeness is key!

Also, I would recommend bringing reading material in case you get stuck inside the building without the use of a phone or a companion to talk to, although I think I was just unlucky that the man had to go to court and I had to wait that extra 30 mins.

Now, hopefully, the last leg of collecting will go well next week. I did notice the extremely long and slow running of the collection queue. I'll have to brace myself and hope it will go well.

I'll keep you posted.

@carinagloria, thank you for the update.聽 My experience was similar to yours and yes, being patient and courteous during the process is key.聽 I have seen people who could not keep their cool and things did not go well for them.

The pickup is very quick compared to the application line.聽 There is a pick up window to the right of the entry door.聽 You just have to show the pickup slip and they will issue your card.

Great job.

Hi.

Just to update you. Exactly one week after I applied for my ID, I received a text message advising me that my ID card was ready and that I would need to bring my collection slip and, if I had one, my old ID card.

I went on a Thursday morning, arrived at the Port Louis ID centre at 10am and there was no queue at the collection window. I showed my collection slip, had to put my thumb on a fingerprint reader to prove who I was and I was given the card. They didn't ask for my old ID card. This all took 3 minutes!!!

I think I was lucky that day because of a local weather warning that was in place to avoid Port Louis due to potential floods as an anti-cyclone might hit that area. I am presuming there was no queue to collect my card because of this weather warning. I had no choice but to go against the weather warning because I was flying back to the UK soon after that date and, as you can't send someone on your behalf to collect the ID card or arrange for them to send it by secure post, I had to go. (There was never any rain and the anti-cyclone hit the east side of the island, so I was safe and swiftly went back home upon my card collection).

I will now celebrate the fact I have finally got my ID card!!! Thanks all for your help and advice.

@carinagloria, congratulations.

Hello Guys,

i am mauritian living abroard since 2005. lastly renewed my passport in 2015.

now my passport expiry nearing, I read that I need to provide the ID card also for renewal, can anyone advise if we need the iD or we can renew at embassy?

Best Regards,

vijay

聽 聽 Hello Guys, i am mauritian living abroard since 2005. lastly renewed my passport in 2015.now my passport expiry nearing, I read that I need to provide the ID card also for renewal, can anyone advise if we need the iD or we can renew at embassy?Best Regards,vijay聽 聽 聽 聽-@FX Dailywins

I am not sure whether this is the process in the UAE embassy but when I renewed in Washington DC, the process was to send the old ID with a letter stating that you will replace the old ID with the new ID as soon as possible.聽 I was issued the passport and I renewed my ID the next time that I went to the island.

Hope that this help....

the old ID with the new ID as soon as possible.聽
聽 聽 -@Pablo888

Yes, you would need your ID to renew the passport.聽 My old ID was the one that was issued in the late 80's with picture and ID number but no biometric info.聽 I also had the old National Pension Card - which did not have a photo.聽 I think that you will need to send one or more of those personal identification information in order to renew your passport.

If you don't have your ID card, you will need to check with the embassy for the procedure to renew your passport without that info.

Hi everyone, quick update from my experience. I was born in Mauritius so have a Mauritian passport, but live abroad now. I had the old laminate ID card and went today (28 October 2024) to get the new biometric ID. I went to the office in Port Louis. You first have to get a 25 Rupee stamp from the post office, then a newly printed birth certificate (they attach the stamp to the birth certificate) then you go to the ID office and collect a piece of paper inside which has a number on (your number in line). Then they call out each number sequentially, very well organised, but quite busy, whole process took 2.5 hours. The post office, birth certificate office and ID office are all in the same area (the Emmanuel Anquetil Building), so it's easy to do.

For the ID conversion from laminate to new biometric I needed my old laminate ID, passport, newly printed birth certificate, proof of address of a relative living in Mauritius and a copy of their ID card (not sure what you do if you don't have a relative living here?), and a letter from the relative to say you're staying with them. You also need a local cell phone number (can be a family member or friend) as they SMS you when the ID is ready for collection, but they also give you a slip you need to bring with when you collect. They say it should take 3-4 days. I found that all the staff were friendly and helpful. You have to collect the ID in person, you can't get a family member to do it for you. Hope this is helpful for anyone who needs to follow a similar path as me!