Citizens Sleep on Streets for Biometric ID in Cancún

Cancún, January 20. Obtaining the biometric CURP in Cancún has become an exhausting process for dozens of people, who, faced with high demand and limited daily service, have opted to spend the night on public streets to secure a token for the procedure.

On the morning of Tuesday, January 20, extensive lines were observed around the Civil Registry, where only 35 tokens are distributed per day, a number that proves insufficient given the volume of applicants. To avoid being left out, citizens begin lining up from the previous night, arriving as early as 10 p.m., enduring the cold and sleeping on the street.

Among the testimonies collected is that of Rocío, who came accompanied by minors, as the biometric CURP was requested as a requirement for her daughter to access a school scholarship, highlighting the social impact of the implementation of this document.

What is the Biometric CURP?

The biometric CURP is a national identification document that incorporates fingerprints, digital photography, iris scanning, and electronic signature. Since October 2025, Quintana Roo became the first state in the country to launch this pilot program, through modules of the National Population Registry, with the aim of its future nationwide adoption.

The procedure is free, in-person, and has become indispensable for various administrative and official processes.

Its relevance increased after the signing of an agreement between the Quintana Roo Mobility Institute and the Ministry of the Interior, through which the biometric CURP will be used as official identification for issuing driver’s licenses in the state. This agreement, published in the Official Gazette of the Federation, also establishes that public and private institutions must adopt the CURP as the sole source of identity.

Although the project aims to simplify procedures and gradually replace documents such as the INE credential, it has also raised concerns related to the protection of personal data. Despite this, federal and state authorities continue with its implementation.

In this context, the General Directorate of the Civil Registry of Benito Juárez began this week to receive new equipment to expand the registration of biometric data, which will allow increasing service capacity and expanding the coverage of the procedure in Cancún and the rest of Quintana Roo.