The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to advise that as a result of COVID exposure following the identification of several positive COVID cases of employees, and the unfortunate passing of an employee of the Passport Office on Thompson Blvd, the Office will be closed on Monday and Tuesday (19th
- 20th) July 2021, to allow the Ministry of Health Surveillance Team to conduct a proper contact tracing assessment of staff.
The Ministry recognizes that the summer months are a period of great demand for passport services and apologizes for the inconvenience caused by the temporary suspension of services. This year is particularly challenging as that normal summer demand is compounded by the pent up demand brought on by COVID restrictions over the past year. The Ministry is presently adopting innovative approaches to maintaining the efficient processing and issuing of passports, particularly through its online renewal portals should there be a further delay in these services after the 48 hour closure of the office recommended by the Ministry of Health. The Ministry advises that to meet the compounded pent up demand, some aspects of service may be taken offsite. In addition, the Passport Office will soon introduce an appointment system to deal with first time applicants, in an attempt to better regulate the traffic accessing these services. The public is asked to stay tuned for announcements on these initiatives.
Again, the Ministry apologizes for any inconvenience to the public caused by the closure of the Passport Office.
18th July, 2021
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
West Bay Street
Nassau, Bahamas
