A new record has been achieved this year by Identity Malta’s Passport Office. Between January and August, the office already reached pre-Covid figures.

From the beginning of January till the end of August, a total of 43,566 passports were issued. This is equivalent to the total number of passports issued between January and December 2019. Considering that 14,262 passports were issued in 2020, and 29,291 passports were issued in 2021, this year’s figure clearly indicates that as​ Covid restrictions were gradually eased, applications for new passports and residence permits kept increasing.

In order to mitigate any inconvenience caused by this surge, Identity Malta has implemented the necessary measures to address the situation.

The Passport Office first extended its evening opening hours and later also extended its opening days, introducing new opening hours on Sundays. An appointment system aimed at the better management of application submissions was introduced. Applicants may now visit Identity Malta’s website and fix appointments for themselves or their families on their preferred dates and at their chosen times.

Investment in biometrics stations has meant that a bigger number of applicants may be served simultaneously. A self-service biometrics station system has also been introduced, whereby applicants themselves can acquire biometric information.

The Passport Office has been allotted the space of a whole floor from where to operate, following the relocation of the Public Registry.

A new entrance through Triq Aldo Moro has been introduced, along with the setting up of a new waiting area. This enables separate entrances for those applying for passports and those collecting their passports.

The Expatriates Unit and the Central Visa Unit have both addressed the increase in applications for residence permits by foreign workers. A self-service biometrics station was installed at the Expatriates Unit, reducing the waiting time for biometric information.

In a bid to reduce the number of pending applications, Identity Malta went the extra mile and, through a collaboration with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, provided employees with training in Visa application processing. More applications were therefore scrutinised and processed simultaneously, without compromising security. During the past weeks, the agency opened its doors to several stakeholders, who attended a series of seminars and webinars during which – through a collaboration with Jobsplus – they were given useful information about the application process for residence permits. The purpose of these seminars was for employers to be better informed about the requisites of this process.

Identity Malta is committed to offer a service of excellence to the citizens and residents of Malta, without compromising the country’s security.