Normal e-passport services are expected to resume next week after delays in importing passport booklets caused a temporary shortage, Maldives Immigration has said.
Immigration assured the public that the difficulties currently affecting passport issuance will be resolved once a new shipment of e-passport booklets arrives in the country.
Until then, electronic passports are being prioritised for people who need to travel under urgent or compelling circumstances, including Maldivians travelling abroad for emergency medical treatment.
For other applicants, Immigration has temporarily begun issuing non-electronic machine-readable passports as an alternative.
The temporary passports have a validity period of five years and have been prepared in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, according to Immigration.
They are also cheaper than the standard Maldivian e-passport.
While an e-passport costs MVR 1,000, the temporary non-electronic passport is being issued for MVR 600.
Immigration has introduced additional arrangements to ensure people who opt for the temporary passport are not financially disadvantaged once e-passport services return to normal.
Anyone who obtains a five-year non-electronic passport during the current shortage will be allowed to replace it with an e-passport before it expires without paying an additional cancellation fee or fine.
The arrangement means applicants who urgently need a passport do not have to wait for the new stock of electronic passport booklets to arrive solely because they intend to eventually obtain an e-passport.
Immigration is also issuing one-year emergency passports for Maldivians making short trips to India and Sri Lanka.
The temporary measures were introduced after delays in importing the specialised booklets required to produce electronic passports affected normal issuance.
Unlike conventional machine-readable passports, e-passports contain an electronic chip that securely stores identifying information about the passport holder. The technology has become increasingly common internationally as countries modernise border control and travel document systems.
Maldives Immigration has stressed that the five-year passports currently being offered remain machine readable and comply with ICAO requirements for international travel.
The agency said regular passport procedures will resume once the incoming stock of e-passport booklets is received, with the current disruption expected to be fully resolved next week.
Until then, priority for the limited electronic passports available will continue to be given to travellers facing urgent circumstances.
