Online passport application system to go live before year-end

The government is preparing to launch an online passport application portal before the end of this year, marking another major step in modernising public services and improving citizens’ access.

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali made the announcement during a recent press conference, noting that the initiative will directly address the long lines at passport offices.

“Currently, the online passport application portal is in a final stage of development and is expected to go live before the end of this year. We are hoping this system would eliminate the lines that you see at the passport office,” the president stated.

The system will allow applicants to book appointments online and access services closer to their homes, as the government decentralises operations nationwide.

“We’ll have a decentralised system where appointments are booked online and you will go to the nearest service centre to you,” President Ali explained.

He further highlighted that service centres are being established in every region, where citizens can access passport services, as well as a wide range of government services in one location.

“We are now creating service centres in every region to have an integrated office where citizens can go and have any government services dealt with at that office. So they don’t have to come to the capital,” the head of state said.

The online portal is part of the broader national digitisation plan, which aims to fully digitalise all government services by the second quarter of 2026, creating a more transparent, efficient, and citizen-focused system.