SINGAPORE: Singaporeans applying for or renewing their passports will now have to wait at least six weeks, according to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
This is up from the four-week processing time in early April.
A notice on the authority's website on Wednesday (May 11) cited an "overwhelming" number of applications for the delay. CNA has contacted ICA for more information.
ICA said in March that the number of passport applications it has received was "unprecedented".
"This is due to the pent-up demand of 1 million expired and expiring passports with the COVID-19 border restrictions in place," the authority had said.
Scammers have taken advantage of the skyrocketing demand for passports, and ICA has warned the public not to fall for scam calls related to passport issues.
Singapore has recently relaxed travel restrictions to allow all fully vaccinated travellers entering Singapore via air or sea checkpoints to do so without a pre-departure test from Apr 26.
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This is up from the four-week processing time in early April.
A notice on the authority's website on Wednesday (May 11) cited an "overwhelming" number of applications for the delay. CNA has contacted ICA for more information.
ICA said in March that the number of passport applications it has received was "unprecedented".
"This is due to the pent-up demand of 1 million expired and expiring passports with the COVID-19 border restrictions in place," the authority had said.
Scammers have taken advantage of the skyrocketing demand for passports, and ICA has warned the public not to fall for scam calls related to passport issues.
Singapore has recently relaxed travel restrictions to allow all fully vaccinated travellers entering Singapore via air or sea checkpoints to do so without a pre-departure test from Apr 26.
Continue reading...