Equipment Failure Causes Major Delays in Israeli Biometric Passport Issuance

The process of obtaining a biometric passport in Israel has been significantly extended, with waiting times now reaching up to eight weeks, an increase from the previous six weeks. This delay is attributed to a malfunction in a crucial machine at the Population and Immigration Authority responsible for imprinting citizen data onto the passports. The problem has exacerbated existing difficulties in scheduling appointments, which have been a challenge for Israelis since the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in central regions of the country.

Passports are initially printed as blanks at a state-run facility before being sent to the Population and Immigration Authority for personalization. The breakdown of the data-imprinting machine has created a bottleneck, leading to the extended waiting periods. A specialist has been flown in from Germany to repair the equipment, but as of the report, the issue remains unresolved, and authorities fear further delays.

This situation is causing considerable anxiety for Israelis planning international travel, who must now factor in the prolonged processing times. One applicant expressed concern on Facebook, noting that while she initially dismissed other complaints as isolated incidents, the revelation of a technical fault is worrying. She fears her own wait, which has already been lengthy due to appointment scarcity, could extend by an additional two months.

The head of the Population and Immigration Authority acknowledged the extended timeline, stating that while the standard processing time is six weeks, it has now risen to eight. He expressed hope that the backlog could be cleared within three weeks, pending the successful repair of the machine by the German specialist.