Express passport suspension extended until June

People have been urged to apply for passport renewals in good time

The Isle of Man’s express five-day passport service is to remain suspended for at least a further three months, the government has said.

The express scheme was initially put on hold in August but will not be reviewed until June.

Under the current arrangements, only the standard service, which can take up to 20 days, or a one-working-day emergency service remain available.

A government spokesman said the suspension was due to the volume of applications being made.

Those planning to travel have been urged to check the expiry date on their existing document and “take action in good time” if a renewal is needed.

People have also been warned that a temporary passport is not biometric and may therefore “not be accepted in some countries”.

The government spokesman said the continued suspension was “necessary due to the significant increase in the number of passport applications being received”.

However, recruitment and training was “being undertaken to support this in the future”, he added.