An amended deadline given by the government of Dominica to replace the machine-readable passport with the new E-passport has now been revised from August 31, 2022, to December 31, 2022.
In January 2022, the government announced an amendment to the transition period from the machine-readable passport to the new E-passport from the initial two years to six months.
At the time of the announcement, Minister for National Security, Rayburn Blackmoore, said that this was due to the need for Dominica to join global efforts in ensuring more secure travel.
In a statement to the media last evening, Blackmoore explained that while moving to the E-passport as soon as possible to ensure that Dominica’s passport is compliant with international standards remains one of Dominica’s goals, the government remains focused on the needs of Dominican nationals both here and overseas.
“Having considered the number of issues and being mindful of the challenges that we all are fully aware of as well as requests from you, the Dominican public, for additional time for applying for the new EU passport, your government has decided to extend the deadline for transitioning from the machine-readable passport to the new E-passport to December 31, 2022,” the minister announced.
Blackmoore pointed out that it is intended that this six-month extension will be the final one.
According to the Minister, since the launch of the E-passport on July 26, 2021, a total of 31,347 passports have been printed and issued.
This also includes 290 passport applications which were processed for St Maarten, 191 for St. Thomas as well as 161 processed for St. Croix and St. John, during a recent tour for the processing of applications of Dominican citizens in these islands, using mobile kits.
It was revealed at the time of the launch in 2021, that the government had decided to inject US$6,049,000 into the new biometric E-passport and an issuing system.
Blackmoore highlighted an embedded electronic chip which is equipped with biometric capabilities and facial recognition, as one of the benefits of the new passport.
Other perks, according to the minister, include biodata pages which are resilient to water, the laser engravement as well as 50 pages as opposed to 32 pages which the current machine-readable passport contains.
In the past, some applicants adopted a "financial sponsorship" approach, where a third party covered part or all of the SISC contribution on behalf of the applicant. This practice is now disallowed by the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU). As of a recent announcement, "financially sponsored" applications are no longer accepted by the Unit.
St. Kitts and Nevis, a serene Caribbean haven, extends its citizenship by investment program to global investors seeking a second passport. Established in 1984, this reputable program enables passport holders to access over 150 countries visa-free or with visa-on-arrival status, including influential destinations like the UK, EU, and Canada. Yet, eligibility for the St. Kitts […]
As of August 2023, Dominica has been added to the list of countries whose citizens need a visa to enter the UK. U.S. citizens who hold dual citizenship with Dominica should apply for a UK visa before traveling to the UK.
In a move to prioritize national security, defense, and public safety, the government of Saint Christopher and Nevis has implemented crucial changes to its citizenship by investment process. According to the latest regulations, citizens and individuals ordinarily residing in specific countries will now be excluded from applying for citizenship in St. Kitts & Nevis. The […]
Copyright 2020 CTrustGlobal Ltd. | All Rights Reserved | Working under the umbrella of Trust Group
