Consular identification card
Encyclopedia
Consular identification cards are issued by some governments to their citizens who are living in foreign countries. They are not certifications of legal residence within foreign countries, so CID card holders could be legal or illegal aliens. Issuing travel documents and passports are some of the functions performed by consular offices for their citizens. "According to the Department of State, issuance of CID cards falls within the general scope of permissible consular functions." The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
of 1963 defined the allowable activities for consulate offices such as registering its citizens within foreign countries.
A report prepared for the United States Congress by the Congressional Research Service
(CRS) acknowledges the controversy over the use of CID cards. It states that supporters of consular identification cards argue that they are important in a post 9/11 America to improve security and bring transactions out into the open where they can be monitored more as well as improve bilateral relations by notifying consulates when foreign nationals are detained. While others say CID cards are only needed "by aliens who are illegally present in the United States and serve to undermine U.S. immigration policy
" and that at best better regulation is needed of these cards to "reinforce immigration policy and to defend against terrorism." Foreign governments are accused of "issuing consular identification cards in the United States for purposes other than those intended by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, namely to circumvent U.S. immigration law, and that the issuance of the cards should be subject to U.S. regulation."
In 2005, the REAL ID Act
became law which requires that applicants for driver's licenses are "lawfully present in the United States" and that "an official passport is the only acceptable foreign identity document." In November 2004, the U.S. Congress restored funding for the Treasury Dept.
to implement regulations that allow financial institutions to accept CID cards for banking (H.R. 4818/P.L. 108-447).
The 9/11 Commission recommended the U.S. establish standards for sources of identification, however required documents to acquire CID cards vary from country to country as displayed below in the chart 'Countries with Consular Identification (CID) Cards'.
The Argentinian Consulate in Los Angeles advertises their CID card's U.S. benefits for the colonies of Argentine citizens as a means to avoid deportation, board air planes, access to banking, credit, libraries, municipal programs and funerals.
The United States government does not issue CID cards, but recently has begun issuing the U.S. Passport Card to U.S. citizens for land and sea port re-entry into the U.S. from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda, but not for international air travel.
Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963 is an international treaty that defines a framework for consular relations between independent countries...
of 1963 defined the allowable activities for consulate offices such as registering its citizens within foreign countries.
A report prepared for the United States Congress by the Congressional Research Service
Congressional Research Service
The Congressional Research Service , known as "Congress's think tank", is the public policy research arm of the United States Congress. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS works exclusively and directly for Members of Congress, their Committees and staff on a...
(CRS) acknowledges the controversy over the use of CID cards. It states that supporters of consular identification cards argue that they are important in a post 9/11 America to improve security and bring transactions out into the open where they can be monitored more as well as improve bilateral relations by notifying consulates when foreign nationals are detained. While others say CID cards are only needed "by aliens who are illegally present in the United States and serve to undermine U.S. immigration policy
Immigration policy
An immigration policy is any policy of a state that deals with the transit of persons across its borders into the country, but especially those that intend to work and to remain in the country. Immigration policies can range from allowing no migration at all to allowing most types of migration,...
" and that at best better regulation is needed of these cards to "reinforce immigration policy and to defend against terrorism." Foreign governments are accused of "issuing consular identification cards in the United States for purposes other than those intended by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, namely to circumvent U.S. immigration law, and that the issuance of the cards should be subject to U.S. regulation."
In 2005, the REAL ID Act
REAL ID Act
The REAL ID Act of 2005, , was an Act of Congress that modified U.S. federal law pertaining to security, authentication, and issuance procedures standards for the state driver's licenses and identification cards, as well as various immigration issues pertaining to terrorism.The law set forth...
became law which requires that applicants for driver's licenses are "lawfully present in the United States" and that "an official passport is the only acceptable foreign identity document." In November 2004, the U.S. Congress restored funding for the Treasury Dept.
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
to implement regulations that allow financial institutions to accept CID cards for banking (H.R. 4818/P.L. 108-447).
The 9/11 Commission recommended the U.S. establish standards for sources of identification, however required documents to acquire CID cards vary from country to country as displayed below in the chart 'Countries with Consular Identification (CID) Cards'.
The Argentinian Consulate in Los Angeles advertises their CID card's U.S. benefits for the colonies of Argentine citizens as a means to avoid deportation, board air planes, access to banking, credit, libraries, municipal programs and funerals.
The United States government does not issue CID cards, but recently has begun issuing the U.S. Passport Card to U.S. citizens for land and sea port re-entry into the U.S. from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda, but not for international air travel.
History
| Country | Issuing Country's Name of Their Consular ID Card | Required Application Documents | Cost | Inception Date | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
matricula consular | October 2003 | |||
| Bolivia Bolivia Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America... |
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| Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... |
matrícula consular | • Notarized copy of first 2 pages of valid Brazilian passport • Apply in person or by mail |
Free | ||
| Colombia Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the... |
cédula ciudadanía (citizen ID) | • Original Colombian ID (expired or unexpired) or original birth certificate • Document showing blood type • Apply in person • Temporary ID in 30 minutes, actual ID in one year |
Free | ||
| Dominican Republic Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries... |
localizador archivo | • Unexpired passport or national ID (cédula) • Ready same day |
$12 | ||
| Ecuador Ecuador Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border... |
consular ID | • Ecuadorian passport or national ID (cédula) • Proof of U.S. address • Ready same day |
$5 | ||
| Guatemala Guatemala Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast... |
Tarjeta de Identificación Consular Guatemalteca (TICG) | • Valid Guatemalan passport • (To obtain passport, present original + 2 copies of birth certificate + photo ID + $65 fee) • Ready in 2 days |
$30 | August 2002 | |
| Guinea Guinea Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures... |
consular ID | • Photocopy of unexpired Guinean passport or national identity card, or birth certificate + photo ID • Ready next day |
$25 | ||
| Mali Mali Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with... |
carte d'identité consulaire | Mali passport or national ID card | $18 | ||
| Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
Matricula Consular de Alta Seguridads (MCAS) | • Birth certificate: original + 2 copies • Photo ID from Mexico: original + 1 copy • Proof of U.S. address • Ready same day |
US $28 | 1871 | |
| Nigeria Nigeria Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in... |
citizen’s certificate | • Photocopy of Nigerian passport or national ID | $25 | ||
| Pakistan Pakistan Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan... |
national identity card for overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) | • Notarized copies of: first 4 pages of passport; visa or other document showing legal stay in U.S.; and National ID card or Bay-Form • Proof of address in U.S. and Pakistan |
$15 | ||
| Peru Peru Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.... |
tarjeta consular | • Valid Documento Nacional de Identidad and passport • Proof of residence in U.S. |
$2 | ||
| Senegal Senegal Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north... |
consular ID | • Senegalese ID, such as a passport or national ID card • Ready in 1 month |
$4 | ||