The Immigration Department anticipates receiving its new passport supply by the end of this month or the first week of July.

Director of Immigration Amelia Komaisavai says due to high demand, appointments for passport enrollment and issuance are fully booked until March next year for the Suva Office and until November for the Lautoka Office.

Komaisavai says the department is currently handling passport services strictly by appointment, and all available slots at both the offices and overseas missions are taken.

Despite the full schedule, she adds that the department is prioritizing urgent and medical cases, ensuring the requests are addressed promptly.

“We are enrolling and issuing passports for appointments only, which is already full until December, I’ve been told. And also the missions have also got their appointment full until that period.”

Komaisavai says the demand for passports last year was high; and at one time, the department was printing about 6,000 passports a month.

A new contract has been signed whereby Fiji is increasing the passport order to 100,000 to cater to the demand.