The Tongan government has run out of passports.
A spokesperson from Tonga’s Department of Foreign Affairs said the shortage was due to high local demand and from Tongans living overseas.
“This is a regrettable shortfall, but we are doing everything we can to minimise the inconvenience faced by the public,” the spokesperson said.
The next stock should arrive about mid-October.
Temporary passports are still available for TP$57.
The government was doing its best to help Tongan citizens travel.
The spokesperson said Foreign Affairs was working with neighbouring countries, including Australia and New Zealand on ensuring no fraud is committed during the passport shortage.
Tonga’s temporary travel document was handwritten, not machine-readable.
If members of the public had concerns with travelling or lodging visas or permanent residency applications because of the requirement for a certificate of identity, the department would talk with them.
“My advice is for individuals travelling with certificates of identity between Tonga and other countries to also bring along other identification papers, driver’s licence, green card or their expired passport,” the spokesperson said.
The main points
- The Tongan government has run out of passports.
- The next stock should arrive about mid-October.
- Temporary passports are still available for TP$57.
