Replace a lost ID card immediately; get a temporary ID if you need it urgently

For standard replacements, the new ID card is issued within 60 days from the date you submit the application. If you need it right away, you can also request a temporary ID card on the spot; it is delivered within three days and remains valid for three months. Without an ID card, you cannot apply for jobs, rent housing, open bank accounts, or receive government benefits — it is a prerequisite for all such procedures.

There is a statutory fee for issuing ID cards. The exact amount is set by national regulations and posted locally. You must apply at the police station in your area of permanent residence — just one visit is required.

Once you submit the application form for a resident ID card, authorities must issue the card within 60 days. During this period, if you urgently need identification, you may apply for a temporary ID card, which is issued within three days and valid for three months nationwide.

Without an ID card, you cannot secure employment, rent housing, open bank accounts, or receive subsidies; it is a mandatory prerequisite for all related processes. The ID Card Law was amended in 2011; the text cited here is the version published in 2003, and current regulations apply. Whether you can apply in a location other than your registered residence depends on local police announcements.

全国人大常委会 (2003). 居民身份证法（主席令第四号，第十二、二十条）. https://www.gov.cn/gongbao/content/2003/content_62254.htm；公安部 (2005). 临时居民身份证管理办法（公安部令第 78 号，第二、七、九、十二、十七条）. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/2021-12/25/content_5712922.htm