The Department of Immigration and Emigration has extended the validity of all passports that expire from the end of June by one year. This extension will last until the new e-passport project begins in January next year.
Passports that expire after being valid for ten years as of June 30th will get a one-year extension for free. The new e-passports, which will have an electronic chip, will be available to the public by January next year. People are encouraged to convert their old passports to e-passports.
A senior Immigration official told the Daily Mirror that a company has been chosen to handle the printing of the new e-passports, and the process is currently in progress.
The department plans to issue about 700,000 e-passports each year once the project starts.