Long wait for processing passport applications due to software upgrade has been halved, but it may still take up to five weeks plus delivery for a standard passport – down from 10 weeks.
Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says an upgrade to the passport processing software in March caused unexpected delays to passport processing times.
“As of Tuesday 6 August, the passport application queue has reduced by over 57% – 31,000 applications down from a peak of 53,847 at the beginning of May, and wait times have halved,” says van Velden.
“In the month of July, the Department of Internal Affairs issued 50,397 passports – over 10,700 more passports than applications it received.”
Of the passports issued by the Department in July, 83% were issued within 6 weeks. Of the passports issued by the Department in July, 91% were applied for online and 32 per cent were group applications.
“The upgrade to the passports system implemented in March was the most significant in over a decade. I am pleased that Kiwis can use the new options that make applying for a passport online a lot easier,” the Minister said in a statement yesterday.
The Department is currently advising applicants on their website to “allow up to five weeks plus delivery for a standard passport.”
This time-frame is provided to ensure customers are aware of the time it may take to issue their passport and can plan accordingly. However, most passports are being issued faster than that, according to the Minister.
The undue delay in processing times had caught many applicants unaware and many were compelled to pay double the cost using the urgent service.
– from NewsViews
