Lost Maltese identity card: prepare your replacement in Malta
For a lost or stolen Maltese identity card, file a police report and apply to Identità using Form ID10a. Keep the temporary Form ID9 for the replacement's delivery or collection; a scan of the missing card does not replace the official process.
This guide concerns the Maltese national identity card. If your missing document is a residence card, use the relevant Identità residence-card service instead. Similar-looking paperwork can follow a different route.
Start with the report and application
- Read Identità's lost or stolen e-ID instructions and file the required police report.
- Prepare Form ID10a through the official link on that page.
- Arrange your visit using the current Identity Cards Unit instructions.
- Keep the report, application details and any booking together for the visit.
Check the replacement page for the current fee before attending so that you have the current form and know what to bring for your circumstances.
If the card was lost abroad
Check the Maltese eID FAQ before leaving the country where the loss happened. It asks for a foreign police report in English clearly showing the ID card number. The dedicated lost-card page also says a report can be filed back in Malta. Because these instructions differ, ask Identità which evidence it needs for your case rather than assuming one route will always be sufficient.
Keep any report you already obtained and note where and when it was issued. If the card number is available in an old reference copy, use that to check the report's details. Do not alter a report yourself to correct a missing or mistaken field; ask the issuing authority how to address it.
If travel is imminent, explain that separately when contacting the relevant authorities. A replacement application record, police report or ordinary phone copy is not evidence that you have a travel document accepted for your route.
Know what each document does
| Document | Its place in the process |
|---|---|
| Police report | Evidence of the reported loss or theft |
| Form ID10a | Application for the replacement Maltese card |
| Form ID9 | Temporary ID issued while the new card is pending |
| Scan of the old card | Personal reference for checking details |
Label these files clearly. An application confirmation and the identity card itself should never have the same file name. If you store paperwork for more than one person, put the holder's name in each record and check the name before opening a sharing sheet.
Prepare for biometrics and collection
The FAQ says a new card requires fresh biometric capture. Do not spend time preparing an old photograph as though it removes the need to attend the required process. Follow the Unit's instructions if illness or mobility difficulties make a visit hard.
Identità's collection page says applicants collecting a replacement for a lost card should present Form ID9. It describes collection through the Identity Cards Unit or the Servizz.gov hub chosen at application. Check the arrangement you actually selected before travelling to a collection point.
Keep the original temporary form safe and follow the instruction to hand it back on delivery or collection. Save a personal record only for reference. If the missing card turns up, the lost-card page directs you to return it to the police or Identity Cards Unit.
Before the visit or collection
- The missing document is a Maltese national identity card.
- The police report's details have been checked.
- Any uncertainty about an overseas report has been raised with Identità.
- The current application form and visit instructions are ready.
- The temporary ID9 is kept safely for the handover.
- The collection location matches the application arrangement.
Dokus can keep copies accessible on your iPhone with encrypted storage and biometric protection. Retain originals and official issuer files. The app does not submit a replacement application or turn a reference copy into a Maltese identity card.
For a separate identity attachment, the Malta document tools prepare Maltese ID or eResidence reference copies. Keep the issued original unchanged; these tools do not issue or certify replacement documents.
Maltese identity card replacement questions
Is this the replacement route for a residence card?
No. This guide covers the Maltese national identity card. Use Identità's service for your particular residence document if that is what you lost.
What is Form ID9 for?
It is the temporary ID issued during the replacement process. Keep the original available for the new card's handover and follow Identità's return instructions.
Can I keep using the old card if it turns up?
Identità's lost-card instructions say to return the recovered card to the police or Identity Cards Unit. Do not assume finding it reverses the replacement process.