Author: James Atem | Published: 4 hours ago
Maj. Gen Elia Costa|By madarama James
The Directorate of Civil Registry and Immigration has announced that the issuance of passports and national identity cards will resume on Monday following the arrival of a new shipment of passport and national ID booklets, ending months of shortages that disrupted the processing of nationality documents.
For several months, many citizens were unable to obtain passports and national ID cards due to a lack of booklets, causing delays for students, travelers, and other applicants.
Announcing the development on Monday afternoon, Director General of Civil Registry and Immigration, Major General Elia Costa, confirmed that printing of nationality documents will officially begin next week.
“We are very happy today to announce that from Monday we are going to start producing passports and nationality documents for those who have already processed their applications,” Costa said.
He explained that priority will be given to students awarded scholarships, students studying abroad, and sick individuals who require urgent travel documents.
“We are going to give priority to students going for scholarships, those who are abroad, and sick people. We will start issuing passports to those who have applied,” he added.
Major General Costa also said the directorate will prioritize issuing nationality documents to students preparing to sit for national examinations, urging them to process their documents early to avoid delays.
“For nationality, we are also starting with students who will sit for their senior exams this year, so they can be ready in time,” he said.
In addition, the directorate announced the immediate resumption of national ID card issuance.
“From today onward, we are starting to issue ID cards,” Costa confirmed.
The resumption of services is expected to ease pressure on applicants and restore normal operations at the Directorate of Civil Registry and Immigration.
