Immigration has said that passport expiration dates can be extended as part of their temporary arrangements regarding the Maldivian passport booklet delays, and those who want to do so can request a new passport via Imuga as per the existing process.

Immigration has said that the German company that has been providing passport booklets to Maldives since 2016 experienced an issue with their machines in the print house, resulting in a delay in booklets being sent and a shortage in Maldives. In order to manage the current passport stock, Immigration brought about some changes on Friday in issuing passports.

One of the changes includes extending the expiration date for a Maldivian who is in the country that has an expired passport and needs to get it renewed. The date will be extended to 30th June 2027.

"Passports will be issued until September and we made those arrangements so that our current stock can be managed. We are managing our stock and issuing passports while taking renewals into account as well," said Immigration's media official.

According to the official, those who want an extension on their passport can apply for a new passport via Imuga. Once the application is submitted, Immigration will call them to go to the office, where a stamp that has security features will be put onto the passport, said the official.

"The application process is the same as before. We issue passports based on their upcoming travel plans and other details," the official said.

An emergency/temporary document is provided to those who need to make a passport for the first time to travel to countries frequented by Maldivians such as India and Sri Lanka.

The emergency passport is a one-year 8-page machine-readable document that abides by the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

According to Immigration, the two services within the temporary arrangements will not be chargeable until passports are issued the same as before.

Even though temporary passport arrangements had to be made, Immigration gave their full assurance that no Maldivian will experience any issues in traveling outside of the country. The official stated that they will continue issuing passports based on their management of the passport booklet stock.