THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration last night announced that the government is to introduce a new series of passports at the end of this month.

The ministry issued the statement late last night as The Tribune was going to press.

The statement said: “To facilitate the migration of the passport data to the new system, the Passport Office will close for the acceptance of passport applications from 18 to 20 January, 2017.

“The ministry wishes to further inform the general public that the current ePassports will remain valid up to the expiration date shown in the book.

“This means that persons who are already in possession of a valid ePassport do not need to apply for the new ePassport.

“The ministry also wishes to inform the general public that the fees for the new ePassport will remain the same ie $50 for adult passports and $25 for children passports.

“The cost of emergency travel documents and any other documents issued by the Passport Office also remain unchanged.

“The ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration will keep the general public informed of developments concerning the new series of ePassports.”