29th October 1999: Passport Office upgrades service delivery and launches Quality Service Charter
"As from next week Maltese nationals applying for a new passport or renewing their present one, will no longer have to submit any relevant documentation such as birth or marriage certificates, as these will be available at the Passport Office through the Government’s Common Database. Furthermore, applicants do not have to go personally to the passport office to submit their application but can send it by post. The passport then has to be picked up personally after seven working days. Those applicants submitting the passport application personally will be able to pick their respective passport after four working days." This was announced by Charles A. Micallef, Director of Civil Registration Department during the launch of the Quality Service Charter of the Passport Office in the Department of Civil Registration. The Charter was launched by the Minister for Justice and Local Government, Hon. Austin Gatt and the Minister Home Affairs, Hon. Tonio Borg.
Speaking about other improvements taking place due to the implementation of the Quality Service Charter, Mr Micallef added that "customers will now have to visit the Passport Office only once, to pick up their passport, since application forms can be picked from the local councils offices, police stations and travel agents. Alternatively they can be downloaded from the Passport Office’s website on
www.magnet.mt/info/crd/page01p.htm#top Enquiries to the Passport Office can now also be made through a freephone service, email and the internet."
The customer service counter at the new Passport Office premises.
Other commitments being made by the Passport Office in the Quality Service Charter include, the provision of a 24 hour service for those requesting an immediate passport for medical reasons, a next day service in the case of persons requiring an urgent passport, two day service for translation to Arabic of the information on the passport and two days for the inclusion of children on the parents’ passport. Emergency documents which can be used instead of a passport for outgoing trips only will be issued within a day. In the case of foreigners whose country of origin do not have an Embassy, High Commission or Consulate in Malta and need a new passport for their trip back home, a Document of Identity can be issued within the day. Collective passports for children travelling in a group will be issued within four days.
Another time saving procedure, is that Maltese nationals who have had their passports stolen or lost, will now no longer have to go to the courts in order to take an oath, since all oaths and solemn declarations for the convenience of customers will be made at the Passport Office. Since the introduction of the new type passports in March 1990 up till September 1999 a total of 229,205 passports have been issued in Malta and 14,466 in Gozo. This year, up till September 13,102 passports have been issued in Malta and 960 in Gozo. Next year the number of passports to be issued is expected to be in excess of 22,000, this is due to the fact that Maltese who in the past have renounced their Maltese citizenship will now be able to apply for dual citizenship and a Maltese passport. Another reason for the increase in passport applications is that foreign residents who have been married and living with their spouse for over five years will now be entitled to a Maltese passport, while the third reason is that all passports that have been issued in 1990 for a ten year period will have to be renewed in the year 2000.