Maldives Immigration has announced that standard electronic passport (e-passport) operations are expected to fully resume next week, bringing an end to recent administrative delays caused by a shortage of passport printing booklets.

A fresh stock of passport booklets is slated to arrive within the coming week, offering a long-term solution to the supply shortages that have temporarily disrupted passport processing nationwide.

In the interim, Immigration officials have instituted several emergency measures to maintain essential travel services and minimize inconvenience to the public:

• Prioritization of Urgent Applications: Remaining electronic passport stock is being strictly reserved for individuals with immediate, documented travel needs.
• Temporary Non-Electronic Passports: Standard applicants are currently being issued non-electronic, machine-readable passports valid for five years. Fully compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, these booklets cost MVR 600—compared to the MVR 1,000 fee charged for an ordinary e-passport.
• Waiver of Replacement Fees: Citizens issued a non-electronic passport during this period will be permitted to replace it with an e-passport before its expiration without paying the standard cancellation fee.
• Emergency Regional Travel: For travelers making short-term visits to India and Sri Lanka, Immigration is issuing one-year emergency passports to prevent travel disruptions.

Officials confirmed that these temporary measures will remain in place until the new shipment of booklets arrives and standard e-passport issuance resumes next week.