Maldives Immigration has begun temporarily issuing non-electronic passports following delays in the arrival of booklet stock required for Ordinary Electronic Passports, authorities confirmed.
The temporary measure will take effect from tomorrow and apply to all passport applicants until new stocks arrive in the Maldives within the next few weeks, according to information obtained by The Standard.
Immigration said the decision was taken to manage existing passport inventory and avoid disruptions to passport issuance services.
Although the temporary passports will not contain an electronic chip, officials noted that the documents remain fully machine-readable and compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization standards, allowing holders to continue travelling internationally without restrictions.
According to information available at present, the electronic passport feature is primarily used by Maldivian travellers at automated immigration systems in destinations such as Singapore and Dubai. Authorities indicated that the temporary switch is therefore not expected to significantly affect most travellers.
The non-electronic passports will be valid for five years and issued at a reduced fee of MVR 600, compared to MVR 1,000 for the standard electronic passport.
Immigration has also announced that individuals receiving the temporary passport will later be able to upgrade to an electronic passport without paying a cancellation fee, even if the issued passport remains valid at the time of replacement.
The authority apologised for the inconvenience caused and assured the public that electronic passport issuance would resume once the new stock arrives in the coming weeks.
