Passport issuance to return to normal next week: Maldives Immigration

Maldives Immigration has announced that passport issuance services will return to normal next week following the receipt of a new stock of passport booklets.

Immigration had previously altered its passport issuance procedures on August 28 after a delay in receiving new booklet stocks caused by technical issues with printing machinery at a German manufacturing company.

Under the temporary measures, individuals in the Maldives applying to renew expired passports were offered an extension on their existing passports until June 30, 2027, free of charge, rather than receiving new booklets. Additionally, first-time applicants traveling on short trips to neighbouring countries such as India and Sri Lanka were issued free 8-page emergency passports valid for one year.

These emergency passports comply with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) machine-readable standards.

Although Immigration initially estimated in August that new stocks would arrive within a month, the stock had not arrived by the end of September, limiting passport issuance primarily to emergency cases.

With the arrival of the new stock expected next week, Maldives Immigration confirmed that full, standard passport services will be restored.