Background
As the national authority for civil identification, the General Department of Identification (GDI) administers the system for issuing and recording Khmer national identity cards, including application intake, card production, and validity management. The GDI maintains designated service points and administrative procedures to ensure cards are issued and renewed in line with national identity governance arrangements.
Citizens aged 15 or older are eligible to apply for a Khmer national identity card, and renewal services are available for cards that have expired or have fewer than 180 days of remaining validity. The GDI provides application and renewal services through local police posts, district and municipal police stations, provincial and capital police offices, designated iON service centres, and its central office.
Key Developments
On 12 August 2026 the General Department of Identification published guidance on locations and procedures for the issuance and renewal of Khmer national identity cards. The published guidance lists the following service points where citizens may submit application forms: commune and sangkat administrative police posts where applicants currently reside; district, municipal or khan police stations; capital and provincial police headquarters; the central office of the National Social Security Fund for its members; the iON2 service centre (Sen Sok); the iON3 service centre (Mean Chey); and the Department of Identification central office (after Rongsey Clinic).
The guidance also states that Khmer citizens who are 15 years old or older, or who hold identity cards that have expired or have under 180 days of remaining validity, may complete application forms for issuance or renewal free of charge.
Institutional Role
The General Department of Identification acts as the implementing agency for national ID operations, coordinating with provincial and municipal police units to provide front-line application services. Local police posts function as intake points for identity documentation to connect residents with central processing and card production functions managed by the GDI.
Operational Implications
Residents seeking to obtain or renew a Khmer national identity card should visit their commune/sangkat police post or the district/municipal police station corresponding to their current residence, or go to one of the listed central service points for capital and provincial-level processing. Eligible applicants (age 15+ or with expired/near-expiry cards under 180 days) are entitled to complete the issuance or renewal form without a fee at the stated locations.
For inquiries and further procedural information, the GDI provides a Telegram channel and a website and operates hotlines: Join Telegram at https://t.me/GDI_service_news, website http://www.gdi.gov.kh/, or contact 1271 or 017 898 915 during working hours.
