Passport applications can be made without appointments as of March 6, General Security announces

BEIRUT — The Lebanese General Security (SG) announced on Friday that as of March 6, appointments for passports will no longer need to be made in advance. Passport applications will be made directly at SG premises.

"From 6/3/2023, all appointments obtained on the [SG's electronic] platform will be canceled. Citizens will then be able to go directly to the [SG] regional center without prior appointment," said a statement.

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The GS had implemented its appointment system via an electronic platform to cope with a high demand for travel documents since the economic crisis began in 2019.

But with the high demand, waiting times for such appointments could sometimes stretch to a year or more.

"The new passports will be issued within 25 days," the SG said in its statement, indicating that this change in procedure follows the receipt of a "certain amount of biometric passports."

From March 1, the electronic platform will be used only for people wishing to obtain a passport in an emergency. To do so, applicants will have to register for an appointment within five days.

However, the GS does not specify how soon these urgent passports will be issued.

At the end of January, GS director Abbas Ibrahim announced that the online appointment process would be discontinued "within a month.