From Tuesday next week, citizens applying for a passport for the first time would be able to do so at their nearest household registration office, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday.
The service would make the process more convenient for applicants, who would receive their passports about eight working days after filing their application, the ministries said in a news release.
First-time passport applicants who want to use the e-Gate clearance system at Taiwan’s international airports could enroll for the service at the same time, the MOI said.
Passport applications are currently accepted at the MOFA’s Bureau of Consular Affairs in Taipei, and its branch offices in Taichung, Kaohsiung, Hualien and Chiayi.
At present, first-time applicants who are unable to submit their application in person, must first apply for an identity verification document at their local household registration office, before an authorized travel agent or a family member can submit the passport application on their behalf.
Applicants for e-Gate clearance are also required to submit application in person, either at the National Immigration Agency, the bureau or an international airport.
The new all-in-one service is part of a collaborative effort by the two ministries, the MOFA said.
People who apply for passports at household registration offices between Tuesday next week and Dec. 11 would automatically be entered for a lottery drawing to be held at the end of the year, it added.
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