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Resident Card - Member of a Recognized Religious Congregation

CameroonCulture, faith and volunteering

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

Programme source

Explore pathways in Cameroon Read the five questions ↓

What exact activity, role or purpose qualifies?

The resident-card route is for a member of a religious congregation duly recognised in Cameroon. The official immigration law does not define a broader volunteer or cultural-work permit under this card route.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The card establishes resident status; it does not, by itself in these sources, define a specific work assignment.

What organisation, institution, religious body, charity, teacher or host must support the activity?

The congregation must be recognised; the 2025 identity-card decree requires a recognition act and a member-identification document signed by the head of that congregation.

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Limits of the record
  • The decree does not explain the separate process or criteria for recognising a congregation.

What proves the placement, role, affiliation, experience or cultural/religious/voluntary activity?

The application evidence specifically includes the congregation's recognition act and proof, signed by its head, that the applicant is a member. The decree also lists identity, domicile and criminal-record documents for this category.

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Limits of the record
  • The current official source's scanned text is partly OCR-imperfect; the member/recognition items were visually checked on the relevant page.

Can the person receive salary, pocket money, accommodation, meals or reimbursement? Can they undertake other work?

The checked official sources did not provide enough route-specific evidence to confirm whether pay, pocket money, accommodation or other work is allowed.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • In Law 97/012 and the decree on identity documents, the only provisions on members of religious congregations are Article 21(2) of the law (resident card as of right) and Article 32(b) of the 2025 decree (act of recognition plus the member's identification document). Neither says whether the member may receive a salary, pocket money, accommodation, meals or reimbursement, or may do other work. Article 26 of Decree 2023/147 limits gainful activity only by type of visa and says nothing about the holder of a resident card.

How long can they stay, can they change host/activity, can family accompany, and can the status be extended?

Members of religious congregations duly recognised in Cameroon are entitled as of right to a resident card, and the 2023 implementing decree lists them among resident foreign nationals. The resident card is valid for ten years and is renewable; renewal must be made in the month before it expires. A child under 18 is entitled as of right to the resident card held by the head of the family, provided the child habitually lives with the parents in Cameroon and is dependent on them, unless the child's presence is a threat to security and public order. A stay outside Cameroon for twelve consecutive months causes loss of the effects of the resident card, unless illness or force majeure is duly proven. The official sources do not state whether the holder can change host congregation or activity, or the position of a spouse.

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Limits of the record
  • The official source does not state the complete answer to this question for this route.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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