The Tribune

PASSPORT applicants will now have to wait up to eight weeks for a new passport because of increased volume at the Passport Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration said yesterday.

The wait time for a new passport is normally four weeks.

Last week the ministry warned applicants that the normal wait time had been extended to up to six weeks.

Last week The Tribune reported that irate passport applicants felt the brunt of the summer rush as they stood for hours outside the Thompson Boulevard Passport Office hoping to make it inside the building and out of the scorching sun to file their applications.

When The Tribune arrived at the Passport Office around noon last Tuesday about 50 people were gathered under a plastic tent outside the building with some being forced to stand out in the sun with no shade at all.

With there being no organised line or number system, people said they were forced to push their way to the front and squeeze their way inside once the door was opened by the security officer. At times only two or three people were allowed inside.

Last week Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said the Ministry of National Security would be working with officials at the Passport Office to keep order at the facility.

“I am advised that the reason for this (delay) is the combination of the rush for people to replace their handwritten passports with electronic passports which is mandated by an international agreement and the expected summer travel rush,” Mr Mitchell said in a statement. “I have met with the management of the passport staff and we are making several attempts to ease the situation.

“The minister for the public service has agreed to enable officers from across the service to join the passport office for this period and to assist in the creation of a two shift system in order to speed up the process.”

Yesterday the ministry advised all customers applying for an e-passport to present the original documents and their copies to the Passport Office to reduce the wait period.

“Only medical emergencies, students travelling back to international schools or persons travelling as members of nationally-recognised delegations or teams will be accommodated as emergencies during the peak period,” the statement added. “All emergencies must be properly documented in writing as such, at the time of application.”

The ministry also said that persons with manual passports need to upgrade to an e-passport by November 2015.

Persons renewing their passports can do so as early as six months prior to its expiration.