TodayOnline-May 12
The number of passport applications has risen to more than 7,000 a day, three times more than the 2,000 seen before Covid-19 and climbed to as high as 14,000. This prompted the authorities to deploy more resources to deal with the crowds at the ICA Building. In response to TODAY’s queries on Wednesday (May 11), the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said that there has been an “overwhelming demand” for passports since the easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions.
Earlier in the day, CNA reported that the average waiting time for passport processing now is at least six weeks from the time of application, up from the four-week processing time in April. In its statement to TODAY, ICA said that it could take even longer for people to receive their passports if there is a greater surge in the number of applications or if there are issues with their application, such as when the photograph submitted does not meet the authority’s requirements. It added that it has deployed more resources to process the passport applications and attend to members of the public who have showed up at the ICA Building near Lavender MRT Station for passport matters. There are still many appointment slots available at post offices island-wide for passport collection, ICA said, stressing that Singaporeans who do not have travel plans in the next six months need not renew their passports now if they are now in the country. Read more at:
