NATIONALS ABROAD WILL SOON BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE MACHINE READABLE PASSPORT

November 18, 2009

Cabinet has instructed the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and National Security to work out a system that would it easier for Belizeans abroad to get access to machine readable passports. At its regular meeting in Belmopan yesterday, Cabinet was briefed on consular problems that Belizean nationals have been having when it comes to the issuance of the machine-readable passports. Belize introduced the new machine-readable passport system domestically in 2005 in order to comply with international standards for travel documents. The system was rolled out to overseas missions in 2006. Under this new system, applicants for Belize passports are required to appear in person at in order to obtain their document. But this has been posing a problem for Belizeans abroad who have lost their passports or whose passports have expired. Therefore to alleviate this problem, Cabinet has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Security which is responsible for Immigration matters to work out a system to make it easier for nationals abroad to access the machine readable passports.

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