Biometric National Identity Card in Benin: application and fees (2026)

The CNIB is the identity card you keep in your wallet. Issued by the National Agency for the Identification of Persons (ANIP), it replaces the old national identity card. This page focuses on it: what it costs, the documents to gather, how to collect it, and what it lets you do outside Benin. To compare it with the CIP and the CNPI, see our guide to the biometric card and CIP.

The essentials (information checked on 4 October 2026)

• Cost: 6,000 FCFA. Validity: 5 years.
• Mandatory documents: the secure birth certificate, a copy of the CIP and an ID photo.
• Online pre-request on eservices.anip.bj or in the ANIP BJ app; the applicant must collect the card in person.
• It works as a travel document in the ECOWAS area.

Who can apply

Any Beninese citizen aged 18 or over can apply for the CNIB. A minor can get one with parental authorisation. ANIP describes it as an official document certifying its holder's identity based on their Personal Identification Number (NPI).

The documents to gather

Three documents are mandatory: the secure birth certificate, a copy of the Personal Identification Certificate (CIP) and an ID photo. Proof of occupation and proof of blood group are optional.

Missing one of the first two? See our guides to the secure birth certificate (1,000 FCFA) and the CIP (1,000 FCFA, according to ANIP's CIP page).

Applying, then collecting the card

The pre-request is made online, on eservices.anip.bj or in the ANIP BJ mobile app, open 24 hours a day. The card costs 6,000 FCFA.

For collection, ANIP is categorical: the applicant must collect it in person, at the ANIP headquarters or at its municipal offices. Nobody can do it for you.

On timing, ANIP mentions a minimum processing time for the national ID card without giving a figure. The portal and the free call centre (7054) give you the status of your file.

And my old card?

When announcing the CNIB, ANIP stated that old identity cards that have not expired remain valid until they expire (announcement of 25 August 2020).

Travelling with the CNIB

The CNIB works as a travel document in the ECOWAS area. In 2014 the ECOWAS Conference of Heads of State and Government adopted the ECOWAS biometric national identity card, machine-readable, as an official travel document, replacing the handwritten travel certificate (ECOWAS, 22 September 2023). In Benin, ANIP and the government recalled in August 2020 that Beninese citizens in Nigeria had to prove their identity with a biometric card conforming to ECOWAS standards, or a passport.

Outside the ECOWAS area, the passport remains the travel document: see our guide to the Beninese passport.

CIP and CNIB: one or the other, not both

Some organisations asked for both documents at once. On 31 October 2024, the Minister of the Interior and Public Security asked all public and private bodies by press release to stop. The CIP and the CNIB both come from the same national register of natural persons, and each one alone attests to its holder's identity (announcement of 4 November 2024). An organisation may still ask for a residence certificate on top, to check your address.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the CNIB cost and how long is it valid?

6,000 FCFA, for 5 years, according to ANIP.

Which documents are needed?

The secure birth certificate, a copy of the CIP and an ID photo (mandatory). Proof of occupation and blood group are optional.

Can someone collect my card for me?

No. The applicant must collect it in person.

Can I travel in ECOWAS with the CNIB?

Yes: ECOWAS adopted the biometric national identity card as an official travel document. Check the entry conditions of your destination before leaving.

Can a minor have a CNIB?

Yes, with parental authorisation, according to ANIP.

Do I have to show the CIP and the CNIB together?

No. Each one alone attests to identity, according to the Minister of the Interior's press release of 31 October 2024.

Official sources (checked on 4 October 2026)

• ANIP, Carte d'Identité Biométrique: definition, cost, validity, documents, eligibility, collection.
• ANIP, Certificat d'Identification Personnelle: CIP cost.
• ANIP, CNIB announcement, 25 August 2020: validity of old cards, CNIB conforming to ECOWAS standards.
• ECOWAS, biometric identity card, official travel document, 22 September 2023.
• Government of Benin, « Exigence simultanée du CIP et de la carte d'identité biométrique par certaines structures », 4 November 2024.
• National public services portal, Délivrance de la carte d'identité nationale biométrique (PS00406).
• Government of Benin, « Nouveaux services à l'ANIP : la plateforme e-services.anip.bj désormais lancée », 15 February 2025.