Maldives Immigration has assured the public that ordinary non-electronic passports issued during the current temporary shortage of e-passport booklets remain fully valid for international travel. Authorities said the passports comply with international aviation standards and can be used worldwide without restrictions.
The temporary measure comes after delays in the arrival of booklet stock required to produce ordinary electronic passports. As a result, applicants seeking passports during this period will receive machine-readable non-electronic passports until new stock arrives in the Maldives within the coming weeks.
Immigration stated that the decision was taken to manage existing inventory while ensuring uninterrupted passport services for the public. Officials also noted that most travellers are unlikely to face major inconveniences, as the electronic chip feature is mainly used for automated immigration gates in certain countries such as Singapore and the UAE.
The temporary passports will carry a five-year validity period and will be issued at a reduced fee of MVR 600, compared to MVR 1,000 for standard electronic passports. Immigration further announced that individuals issued with temporary non-electronic passports will later be able to switch to an e-passport without paying any cancellation fee before expiry.
Authorities apologised for the inconvenience caused and assured that normal e-passport issuance services will resume once the new booklet stock arrives in the country.
