Figure 4.4.12. Reasons for lack of permanent residence, RAE individuals at risk of statelessness in Serbia (%) Living in (illegal) facility where it is not possible to register residence 47 Have not been informed about the procedure 21 No birth registration certificate 16 15 Rejected by the authorities Doesn’t know, Doesn’t remember 1 One in three respondents lacking permanent residence registration reported having attempted to register at their current address but were rejected. A total of 67 percent of persons at risk of statelessness without a registered permanent residence claimed police officers had told them about the option to register at their local CSW, but 33 percent denied being given that information. Lastly, as many as 56 percent of those surveyed received oral refusals not accompanied by a formal document rejecting their application. 4.4.4 Identity card Current legislation14 defines identity cards as documents used by Serbian nationals to substantiate their identity and other personal information; anyone over 16 years of age is required to hold an identity card. An application for an identity card must be made immediately after one’s sixteenth birthday, with the provision that the applicant be registered with the civil register of births and as a Serbian national and have a registered permanent residence. The procedure involves administrative requirements and costs15 that make no allowance for social vulnerability, which has a direct bearing on the number of issued and valid identity cards in the RAE population. This Survey found 6.6 percent of all households where at least one person aged over 16 lacked an identity card or had an expired one. This accounts for 1.8 percent of the total RAE population surveyed. If this 14 2006 Law on Personal Identity Cards. 15 The total cost of taking out a biometric personal identity card is RSD 1,154.80. See more on the Ministry of Interior website at mup.gov.rs/wps/portal/sr/gradjani/dokumenta/licna+karta/licna+karta [in Serbian]. 30 PERSONS AT RISK OF STATELESSNESS IN SERBIA OVERVIEW OF CURRENT SITUATION AND THE WAY FORWARD