00:00A doubling of fees for key immigration passport services have taken effect.
00:06The Ministry of Homeland Security says the revised fees reflect the actual cost of document production
00:12and the specialized security features embedded in modern travel documents.
00:17Standard passports, adults 16 to 59 years old, have now gone from $250 TT to $500.
00:25Business passports have increased from $350 to $700.
00:33Expedited passport service moves from an additional cost of $300 to an additional cost of $600 for those requiring priority.
00:43As for lost misplaced valid passports, the fee has been revised from $1,000 to $2,000 for both adults and children.
00:52The Ministry says services that remain at no cost include senior citizens' passports for adults aged 60 and over,
01:02infants' first-issue passports for children under 2 years of age,
01:07and lost misplaced or stolen passport replacements for children under 2 years of age.
01:13The Ministry says the last significant revision of these fees was in 2007,
01:19and the operational landscape of the Immigration Division has evolved significantly.
01:24The current adjustment, it says, is necessary to align with the modern costs of providing secure, high-quality services
01:32and to support the continuous technological advancements required for national security.
01:38According to Minister of Homeland Security, Roger Alexander, the decision to revise these fees was not taken lightly.
01:47He says it is not merely about revenue, but about investing in the technology and security infrastructure
01:53that protect our borders and simplify the lives of our citizens.
01:59Cindy Raguba, Tika Singh, TV6 News.
Comments