October 1, 2017 – The Immigration, Citizenship, and Services Office has announced that the validity period of passports will be extended from five years to ten years.
Previously, passports were valid for five years before requiring renewal. However, under the new system, set to take effect in one month, citizens who are 25 years or older will now be able to renew their passports every ten years.
It is also important to note that immigration and passport services, which were the first to raise fees following recent macroeconomic reforms, are expected to see further price increases.
During a recent press briefing, the institution provided an update on its performance for the past quarter. The Director General of the service reported that 22,000 citizens had been issued urgent passports in just three months.
Addressing questions about the increase in passport fees, the Director General stated, “The fee increase remains minimal compared to what other countries charge.”
Additionally, 478,000 new passports have been imported, with 357,000 customers having successfully renewed or transferred their passports.
The Immigration and Nationality Service further announced that, since August, it has issued emergency passports to 22,000 citizens and made significant strides in overcoming capacity constraints.
