Richard Butler | Exclusive Report by EZRA TOARA of DAILY POST VU | 7TH DECEMBER, 2024
Vanuatu’s first overseas passport enrollment station for printing new electronic passports has been launched in Hong Kong.
Caretaker Minister of Internal Affairs, Andrew Solomon Napuat, praised the achievement, which was made possible by a dedicated team of local professionals.
Mr. Napuat expressed pride in the team, highlighting their ability to complete the task.
“Installing a passport printing system in a foreign country is a major achievement,” he said. The installation took place at the office of the Vanuatu Consul General in Hong Kong, where the system was tested and successfully implemented.”
The newly installed system allows for efficient processing, taking about 10 to 15 minutes to issue a passport. The first passport printed at the station was for Vanuatu’s Consul General to Hong Kong, George Bogiri, demonstrating the system’s capability to produce high-quality electronic passports quickly.
The caretaker Minister announced that Vanuatu citizens living abroad can now upgrade to the new electronic passports by visiting the Consulate General office in Hong Kong. The office is staffed by a Vanuatu Immigration officer dedicated to assisting citizens with passport printing.
Napuat also revealed plans to expand enrollment stations to other locations approved by the Council of Ministers, including Brussels, Dubai, and New Caledonia. These overseas stations will complement installations already completed in most provinces across Vanuatu, with PENAMA Province set to follow once its immigration building is ready.
The Minister noted the importance of these stations in addressing challenges faced by Vanuatu citizens traveling abroad with the older version of the passport. “This initiative will make it easier for citizens worldwide to upgrade their passports and improve their travel experience,” he said.
The Hong Kong installation has also provided valuable lessons for the technical team, who will apply their expertise in future installations. Minister Napuat commended the team for their dedication, saying, “It is encouraging to see our local staff developing their skills and becoming experts in their fields.”
In addition to improving access to passports for citizens, Napuat expects the new enrollment stations to boost efficiency in passport services and generate additional revenue for the Vanuatu government.
This project follows an August 2024 announcement that passport machines would be installed across all provinces in Vanuatu and select international locations. The next targeted installations are in Brussels and Dubai.
The delegation to Hong Kong included caretaker Minister Napuat, Consul General Bogiri, Director of Immigration Jeffery Markson, ID Manager Jeffery Tulang, ID Support Officer Lavanaia Tari, Network Manager Felix Wartef, and Passport Manager Fred Kalwat.
