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Guides · Bhutan

National ID card renewal in Bhutan

Written from published rules on 27 August 2026. Not monitored for changes since. A starting point, not official advice — confirm anything that matters with Department of Civil Registration and Census (DCRC) / འབྲུག་གཞུང་མི་སྡེ་ཐོ་བཀོད་ལས་ཁང།.

Renewing a Bhutanese National Identity Card involves updating personal records and biometric data with the Department of Civil Registration and Census. The process ensures that citizen information remains accurate within the national database for voting, banking, and government services.

Your timing

It is generally recommended to initiate the renewal process at least 30 days before a card reaches its expiration, though some citizens prefer to start earlier to account for potential processing delays or high demand at regional offices.

Start 30 days ahead

This accounts for the administrative processing time required by district census offices to verify records and print new biometric cards.

The process

  1. 1Visit the local Gewog or Thromde office corresponding to the place of census registration.
  2. 2Submit the application form for the renewal of the Citizenship Identity Card (CID).
  3. 3Provide current biometric data, including fingerprints and a photograph, if required by the presiding official.
  4. 4Submit the expiring or expired National ID card to the official for verification and surrender.
  5. 5Collect the new identity card once notified by the office that it has been processed.

What to bring

  • Existing or expired Citizenship Identity Card (CID)
  • Duly completed application form for ID renewal
  • Recent passport-sized photographs (as specified by the local office)
  • Supporting documents if there has been a change in personal details (e.g., marriage or name change certificate)

Who handles it

Department of Civil Registration and Census (DCRC) / འབྲུག་གཞུང་མི་སྡེ་ཐོ་བཀོད་ལས་ཁང།

https://www.dcrc.gov.bt/

Renewal fees are determined by the DCRC and should be confirmed directly with the local Gewog or Thromde office, as rates can vary based on the type of application.

What commonly goes wrong

  • Failing to report changes in residence, as renewal usually requires processing through the home Gewog or Thromde.
  • Incomplete application forms that lack the necessary attestation from local authorities.
  • Mismatch between the information held in the national civil registry and the data provided on the application.

Sources

This guide is based on one official source.

Other documents in Bhutan

National ID card renewal in other countries

Often renewed together

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