Taipei, Feb. 16 (CNA) Taiwan citizens seeking to obtain a new passport will soon have to wait at least 10 working days after filing their application, as the Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA) has been inundated with applications by people eager to travel now that COVID-19 restrictions are being lifted around the world, BOCA said Thursday.
Currently, BOCA is receiving roughly 10,000 passport applications per day, compared to 3,000-4,000 daily in the pre-COVID-19 pandemic era, BOCA Director General Calvin Ho (何震寰) said at a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) press briefing.
As a result of the "record-high demand," BOCA will extend the processing time from six to 10 working days, with effect from Feb. 20, for both first-time applicants and those seeking to renew their passports, according to Ho.
Applicants who require an urgent passport, however, will still be able to file for an expedited process, which carries an extra fee, he said.
It is the second time this year that BOCA has revised the passport application processing time, after extending it on Jan. 3 from four to six working days.
Travel demand has surged since late last year, when Taiwan lifted its mandatory quarantine rule for all arriving travelers, according to BOCA.
Furthermore, it said, countries around the world have been opening up to tourists, after more than two years of travel restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The bureau, which falls under MOFA, has estimated that there are currently 3 million people in Taiwan holding passports that have expired or are about to expire.
As part of the efforts to handle the flood of applications and reduce the long lines at the bureau's offices, BOCA has also expanded its online appointment service, Ho said.
The BOCA online portal will now accept up to 1,500 appointments per day, increasing the number from a maximum 480, the appointments can be made up to 60 days in advance, instead of 20, to submit passport applications in person at BOCA offices, he said.
Ho urged citizens, however, not to apply for new passports at this time, unless they are planning to travel overseas soon. Those who are traveling soon can avoid the long BOCA queues by asking their travel agencies to file the passport applications on their behalf, he said.
