Express passport service reinstated after hiatus

The service had been suspended since August 2023

An express passport service for Isle of Man residents has been reinstated after being suspended for nearly a year due to staff shortages and a backlog of applications.

The five-day service for those in need of a speedy renewal had been paused after a sharp rise in the number of people applying and staffing changes.

A spokesman for the Treasury said the reinstatement was part of "ongoing commitment to provide efficient and responsive passport services".

But, the five working day commitment only covered the handling of the passport and not the delivery time, which would have to be factored in by applicants, he said.

After being processed, the physical passport would be dispatched from the UK and posted to the island, which meant the period from application submission to delivery may take longer, he added.

Anyone due to travel has been urged to check the validity of their passport early to avoid processing delays.

The express service was first put on hold in August 2023, but the standard service, which can take up to 20 days, and a one-working-day emergency service has remained available.