Launch of a digital service for remote renewal of biometric passports.

This service was launched, in a first phase, at the Consulate General of Algeria in Paris, and will be progressively generalized, in a later phase, through diplomatic missions and consular centers abroad.

In a speech delivered at the launch ceremony of this digital service, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Community Abroad and African Affairs, the Minister of the Interior, Local Authorities and Transport, Mr. Saïd Sayoud, stressed that this project "comes in application of the high directives of the President of the Republic aimed at accelerating the digital transformation and developing public services, following an approach based on efficiency, transparency and the simplification of procedures, in order to guarantee more efficient and better quality services, and to strengthen the trust between the citizen and the institutions of the State".

This achievement also reflects "the importance that the State attaches to members of its national community established abroad, as a natural extension of the homeland and an essential partner in its development process, by ensuring modern consular services that meet their expectations and take into account their conditions of residence," the minister added.

In light of the changes that the biometric passport system has undergone in recent years, particularly with the expiration of the validity of a significant number of passports issued ten years ago, Mr. Sayoud announced that "the Ministry of the Interior, Local Authorities and Transport has begun, in close coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the development of an integrated digital system allowing Algerian citizens residing abroad to submit a passport renewal application and follow the various processing stages electronically, without having to travel to consular services multiple times."

He explained that "this digital service, accessible 24/7, offers citizens greater flexibility and speed in completing their administrative procedures, while reducing time and effort and guaranteeing the highest levels of quality and reliability."

"Particular attention has been paid to security and technical aspects," the minister said, adding that "the platform has been developed according to advanced standards guaranteeing the protection of personal data, the security of information exchanges and the strengthening of the reliability of the electronic processing of requests, so as to ensure the integrity of procedures and preserve the security of official documents, while consolidating the digital sovereignty of the State."

Mr. Sayoud concluded his remarks by reaffirming the commitment to "continue modernization and upgrading efforts, in accordance with a vision that places the citizen at the heart of every reform and at the center of every public policy."

For his part, the Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in charge of the National Community Abroad, Mr. Sofiane Chaib, stressed that this simplified digital procedure reflects "the particular attention that the President of the Republic has consistently paid to members of the national community established abroad, considered as an inseparable component of the Algerian nation and an essential partner in the national development process."

It also reflects "the strategic orientation of the Algerian state in favor of the digitization of public service and the use of modern technologies in the service of the citizen," he argued.

This digital service "also reflects the sustained efforts made by the State to adapt to the demographic changes of the national community abroad and its presence across different regions of the world, according to a strategic vision aimed at bringing the administration closer to the citizen wherever they are and strengthening public service beyond national borders," continued Mr. Chaib.

In this context, he specified that "the particularity of this simplified digital procedure lies in the fact that it concerns an important document in the daily lives of citizens abroad", adding that it is based on "a secure national information system designed and developed by Algerian skills according to the highest standards in terms of reliability, cybersecurity and protection of personal data".

For his part, the Consul General of Algeria in Paris, Mr. Chabane Berdja, indicated, via videoconference, that "the handing over of the first Algerian passport issued according to the remote renewal procedure is the symbol of an administration which guarantees efficiency through the use of the most innovative tools".

"This is an experience resulting from cooperation between the administrations of the Ministries of the Interior, Local Authorities and Transport, and Foreign Affairs," he said, stressing that "from next August, the network of consular posts in the Paris region will be able to support the effective implementation of the gradual generalization of this operation to all consular networks, thus contributing to easing the burden related to passport renewal applications and improving the quality of services provided to users."

On this occasion, the Consul General presented the first passport issued under the remote application procedure, before a presentation on the operation of the digital platform dedicated to this procedure for the benefit of members of the national community abroad.