The government has announced a decision to procure 500,000 passports through an expedited tender process in response to the ongoing passport issuance crisis.
Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala revealed this in Parliament today (Jan 23), while responding to a query posed by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa.
“We have initiated the process to procure 500,000 passports through a fresh tender. By Monday, we expect this to be published in newspapers, paving the way to issue the tenders,” Minister Wijepala stated.
Addressing the delays in passport issuance, the Minister explained the timeline for obtaining new passports under the current system. “If someone books an online appointment today (Jan 23), the earliest available date for issuance is June 27. This reflects an approximate wait time of five months,” he noted.
However, for urgent cases, a dedicated committee has been established within the Immigration Department to evaluate and approve requests for same-day passport issuance, he said. This system is intended to cater to emergencies while alleviating delays in regular services. (Islandnews)
The post Passport crisis : When can you get a passport if you apply now? appeared first on Islandnews.
