President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s initiative to digitize public services includes the implementation of an online passport application system in the coming days, the Immigration and Emigration Controller General Harsha Ilukpitiya said.
During his appearance on the ‘101 Katha’ program produced by the President's Media Division, Ilukpitiya said the new process aims to streamline the passport application process and ensure that passports are delivered to applicants’ residences within a span of three days, highlighting the development of this procedure and its wide availability.
To facilitate the efficient delivery of passports, 50 regional secretariats across the island have been equipped with the necessary facilities.
Once applicants submit their relevant applications to the nearest Regional Secretariat and complete the required procedures, the passport will be dispatched to their residence via a courier service within three days.
This initiative comes in response to reports of brokers causing disruptions in the passport issuance process. As a result, Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles issued instructions to the Immigration and Emigration Department to develop an innovative program to eliminate such interference.
Under the new system, individuals can conveniently apply for passports from their homes by visiting www.immigration.gov.lk. By selecting the ‘Apply for passports’ option and validating the provided information, applicants will receive the necessary application form.
Before uploading the soft copy of the form, applicants can specify whether they prefer the expedited ’03 day service’ or the standard ’02 week service.’
