On Monday, October 24th, the Government of Belize launched a new system designed for the country’s new e-passports. The system, which will enable online applications, is known as Electronic Passport Issuance and Control System (EPICS) and will include data capture sites across the country, including San Pedro Town, to assist applicants. That data capture, however, is not yet operating on the island. According to immigration officials, any islander who may need a new passport and wants to access the new system will need to travel to the mainland until the new system is available in San Pedro.
As explained by the Minister of Immigration, the Honourable Eamon Courtenay, applicants will not need to travel to the Capital City of Belmopan to apply for a passport. The application process is moving almost entirely online, requiring one visit to the data capture site, which will be here in San Pedro. When the passport is ready, a visit will be necessary to the issuance center in the capital.
The immigration department on the island is still waiting for the data capture facility. They anticipate the facility to be operational in San Pedro next month, November or December, with the latest delay being January 2023. When the data capture center is installed, the immigration office will announce that islanders will no longer need to travel to the mainland to apply for the travel document. As such, applicants are asked to wait until such service is available in San Pedro.
This new Belizean passport depicts the country’s landmarks and symbols and has 26 security features. Some of these include a microchip that will eliminate corruption and fraud attempts. Belizeans living abroad will also have access to EPICS services. The foreign Belizean Missions offering e-passports include London, the United Kingdom, Taipei, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and the missions in the United States cities, starting with the Belize Embassy in Washington D.C., New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Coral Gables in the State of Florida.
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