The Ministry of Economy and Labour can advise that the Department of Immigration continues processing passport applications and endeavours to complete and send them to Her Majesty's Post Office (HMPO) for printing as soon as possible.

The public will recall the July 1, 2022, advisory of Bermuda passport processing times of up to 20 twenty weeks and the hiring of more staff to process the high volume of applications. The Ministry can confirm that recruitment began in mid-July, and additional personnel are expected to be hired by the end of August. It is anticipated that with the addition of the new staff, processing times will return to 11 weeks.

The Ministry can also advise that currently, there are several passports at HMPO awaiting printing. Over the past week, the Department has contacted HMPO, the London Office and the Deputy Governor's Office to inquire about passport applications. Furthermore, applications for British passports are also taking over 11 weeks.

While we understand and appreciate these delays impact Bermudians' ability to plan and book travel, the challenge of processing passports is not unique to Bermuda. However, the Department of Immigration remains committed to resolving these challenges. We ask for the public's patience and understanding as we work to complete the processing of passports as soon as possible.