NEXT month will mark the conclusion of a special six-month period during which the Department of Immi-gration and National Reg-istration has relaxed the process for issuing national identification cards to citizens, with the aim of urging everyone throughout the country to apply.

Myanmar citizens are required to apply for the cards – which are called national scrutinisation cards by the Ministry of Immigration and Population, under which the department operates – when they reach the age of 10 years and to apply for renewal at the age of 18.

Major Than Tin, the director of the Division of National Registration and Citizenship under the department, told The Myanmar Times that as of September 11 3,162,186 new cards had been issued since the start of the special period on April 12.

He said that during the special period procedures for issuing cards have been relaxed and sped up, and residents can complete them at local peace and development council offices.

Normally residents are required to go to township immigration offices and must wait a longer period for cards to be issued or renewed.

Applicants are required to fill out a form describing their family history and must also provide a number of docu-ments, including birth certificate or proof of age from school, national scrutinisation cards from their parents, household record, blood-type certificate and residence recommendations from the township peace and develop-ment council.

Maj Than Tin said the documents are thoroughly examined by township committees formed specifically for that purpose.

Committee members are usually officials from the Ministry of Immigration and Population, Ministry of National Planning and Econo-mic Development, township police forces under the Ministry of Home Affairs, township health clinics under the Ministry of Health and township peace and develop-ment councils.

“We can’t say exactly how long it will take to receive a card. It depends on the citizenship evidence provided by the applicant but it should not take more than two weeks,” Maj Than Tin said.