Border ContractsPublic register

Democratic Republic of the Congo · ID documents

Biometric passport production

Completed Status as of 19 October 2026 · Funding type: Passenger or user fee

Semlex signed a five-year contract with the DRC on 11 June 2015 to produce biometric passports, as reported by Reuters 1. The passport cost applicants USD 185, of which Reuters reported USD 65 went to the state and USD 60 to a UAE company 1. A procurement regulator official told Reuters the deal was handled directly by the foreign ministry 1. Semlex produced the passports until 2025 2. On 1 September 2026 a Brussels court ordered Semlex and 13 others to trial on corruption, money laundering and tax fraud charges, which remain unproven 2. Semlex said in 2017 it was the target of a smear campaign 2.

Key terms

Buyer
Government of the DRC (signed by the foreign and finance ministers)
Vendor
Semlex
Vendor based in
Belgium
Signed
11 June 2015
Duration
Five years, as reported by Reuters. Semlex produced DRC passports from 2015 to 2025, as reported.
Value
Semlex agreed to invest USD 222 million, as reported by Reuters (2017)
Funding
passenger fee
Fee model
USD 185 per passport paid by the applicant. Reuters reported the split as USD 65 to the government, USD 48 to Semlex-linked firms, USD 60 to UAE company LRPS and USD 12 to Mantenga Contacto Trading.
Procurement route
direct award (a procurement regulator official told Reuters it was handled directly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
System ownership
Not published
Data terms
Not published

Audits, courts, parliament and regulators

  1. 2017: Reuters reported a Congolese procurement regulator official said the deal should have gone to public tender. Zetes confirmed it offered in 2014 to supply passports at USD 28.50 each. Semlex called the reporting a smear campaign 1,2.
  2. 2020: 51 DRC citizens and anti-corruption groups joined a Belgian criminal investigation as civil parties 2.
  3. 1 September 2026: A Brussels council chamber ordered Semlex and 13 other defendants to stand trial on corruption, money laundering and tax fraud charges linked to the passport contract, as reported by Reuters. The allegations had not been proven in court 2.

Sources

  1. Citizen Digital (Reuters): Congo's pricey passports send millions of dollars offshore (2017)
  2. BusinessDay (Reuters): Belgian court orders trial for corruption, money laundering linked to DRC passport deal (2 September 2026)

Fields marked "Not published" or "Not confirmed" could not be established from an official or reliable source. If you hold a document that fills a gap or corrects an entry, write to editor@bordercontracts.org. Last checked 19 October 2026.

Related entries