Controller General allowed to waive fees for temporary travel documents for specified periods

Maldives Immigration has amended regulations to allow the Controller General of Immigration to waive fees for temporary travel documents for a specified period.

The amendment to the Maldivian Passport Regulations, published on Sunday, introduces a new sub-clause following Article 12 (i) of the regulation.

Article 12 (i) previously established the standard fees for passports and temporary travel documents. The newly introduced provision authorizes the Controller General to waive the prescribed fee for temporary travel documents under specific circumstances and for periods determined by the office, notwithstanding the fees stipulated in the regulation.

Previously, a temporary travel document was issued for a fee of MVR 250. The amendment officially took effect on Sunday. 

The regulatory change comes following a recent decision to extend the validity of passports nearing expiration, a temporary measure implemented as the arrival of new passport stock is expected to take approximately one month.

On May 9, Immigration suspended the issuance of e-passports. At the time, the authority attributed the suspension to logistical delays in importing the passport booklets required for the printing process.