A statement from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Service, has revealed that the department has suspended passport applications, with immediate effect, until the 14th of January.
The suspension, according to the department’s spokesperson, Joseph Chauwa, is to make time for the department to migrate from Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) passports currently in use with electronic passports (e-passports). On the other hand, the first will be ready after the suspension is over, as revealed by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services’ Chief Immigration Officer Masauko Medi, who also said that the e-passports concurrently with the MRZ passports for a specified period, during which period the holders of the old type of passports will be encouraged to replace and acquire the new e-passports.
The statement about the suspension reads, “The department is, therefore, advising the general public that the acceptance of the passport application forms will resume on Tuesday January 14th,”