The Immigration Office in Luganville, Santo, is set to resume passport printing next week once technical issues with its machine are resolved.

Hudson Salai, Manager of North Immigration, confirmed to VBTC News that IT specialists are currently in Malampa Province and are expected to arrive in Santo this week to repair the new passport printing machine.

“Our system in Santo had been functioning well until November 2024, when it began experiencing technical issues. As a result, since December, we have been unable to process enrollments. Clients who had already paid fees for enrollment have been placed on hold until the IT team arrives to fix the system, after which we will contact them to complete their applications,” Salai explained.

Salai emphasized that addressing pending passport applications from 2023 is a key priority for Luganville Immigration in 2025.

“Since August last year, we have received over 560 passport applications. Most of them have been processed, but due to the technical problems, some are still pending. We need to finalize these applications in the system before printing the passports. Our staff are actively working on this, and we urge individuals with pending applications to bring their receipts to the office so we can facilitate the process,” he stated.

Salai also acknowledged flight schedule challenges as a factor contributing to delays in passport collection.

“In Vila, a standard passport application costs 20,000 vatu, and applicants receive their passport within three days. However, in Santo, due to flight constraints, we estimate a one-week turnaround. For urgent processing, Vila offers a one-day service for 30,000 vatu, while in Santo, the fastest processing takes three days, depending on flight availability,” he explained.

He is urging applicants from the northern provinces and Sanma who submitted passport applications in previous years to visit the Santo Immigration Office with their receipts to collect their passports.