October 22, Colombo (LNW): The Sri Lankan Department of Immigration and Emigration has begun issuing its new ‘P’ series passports, which come with advanced security features and a sleek, updated design.
This marks the replacement of the older ‘N’ series passports, as the stocks of the maroon-coloured travel documents have nearly been depleted.
As of today, approximately 1,100 machine-readable passports were issued under the department’s one-day service. The new ‘P’ series passport, now in a navy blue cover, will be available for those applying through this expedited service.
One of the significant changes in the new passports is the reduction in pages, with the new model containing 48 pages compared to the previous 64. This sleeker design is paired with cutting-edge security features, ensuring greater protection for travellers.
Despite the adjustments, the new documents remain fully compliant with international standards for machine-readable passports.
The production and supply of these new passports are being managed by Thales DIS Finland Oy, a trusted Finnish provider of passports, ID cards, and other official documents.
The Finnish company won the tender to supply 750,000 machine-readable passports to Sri Lanka after the original plan to purchase five million e-passports was temporarily halted by a Court of Appeal ruling, which is expected to be addressed by November 06.
According to Public Security Minister Vijitha Herath, the first batch of 47,500 ‘P’ series passports was scheduled for arrival between 15 and 20 October, whilst a second consignment of 100,000 will follow by the end of November.
The final remaining stock of the older ‘N’ series passports, around 1,200 in total, will be distributed to applicants who had previously requested passports under the regular service, which costs Rs. 10,000.
