Passport shortage concerns grow in Trinidad and Tobago; Government denies claims

Trinidad and Tobago: Concerns have been raised over the availability of passport booklets in Trinidad and Tobago after travellers reported long appointment delays and slower passport processing. However, the Ministry of Homeland Security has denied that the country is facing a passport booklet shortage, saying there is enough stock to support the transition to a new biometric e-passport system.

This has led to long waiting times for appointments and it has also slowed down the processing of applications. Sources have said that the supplies have fallen significantly because of delays in securing a new long-term supplier for passport booklets.

This issue is reportedly arising because of the ongoing changes in procurement process. Earlier this year, a contract for passport production was cancelled and the authorities decided to introduce a more advanced biometric e-passport system. And because of this transition from passport booklets to e-passport, the people are concerned if enough passport booklets are available to meet demand.

Some applicants have reported that they have to wait for months for appointments, while some said that the available booking dates on the online appointment system are several months away. Others said that the regular passport services are also taking much longer than expected.

But, according to some reports, the Ministry of Homeland Security has rejected the claims of passport shortage in the country.

The Ministry reportedly said in a statement that the Immigration Division received 50,000 passport booklets in October 2025. The division also received another 12,000 passport booklets in June 2026. Officials said that the country normally uses less than 6,000 passport booklets every month which means that there is enough stock to continue providing services.

The Ministry also announced that 48,000 machine-readable passport booklets are expected to be shipped in September 2026. According to the statements by the authority, there would be no interruption in the service while the country is completing its transition process to the biometric system.

The new biometric e-passports will include internationally recognised biometric security technology. It will include an embedded electronic chip that is designed to improve protection against identity theft, document fraud and counterfeiting. The new passports will also feature Trinidad and Tobago’s updated Coat of Arms. The Coat of Arms includes the Steelpan as the country’s national instrument.

Additionally, the Ministry said that they are also working on a new passport application and appointment platform. The new system will make the application process more efficient and will significantly improve transparency.

The officials are continuously reassuring the people that there is no shortage of passport booklets. But reports of lengthy appointment delays and processing backlogs have been arising repeatedly. The travellers are awaiting for the full implementation of the new system to experience comfortable travelling.

The authorities are encouraging the travellers to apply or renew their passports as early as possible if they are planning international trips.