Over 55 thousand new passports requests from January

Over 55 thousand citizens have applied for the first time to be equipped with passports by the beginning of January of this year, when visa liberalisation has also been made. Long lines of citizens have been seen during these two months before Civil Recording Agencys to equip themselves with this document.

As a result, waiting for them to be equipped for up to a month of 15 days.

Gezim Muhhajari from Peja for the first time is being equipped with Kosovo passport. After visa liberalisation, he has decided to visit Germany.

This is the first time he has applied after 65 years for passport. Now I'm withdrawing my passport”, says Guzim Muhharrier, citizen.

For the first time in the passport, Mehdi Selmani, also planning to visit Germany.

I've applied for a passport for 10 days, I've never been back, for the first time I applied. I've got to go to a brother”, says Mehdi Selmani, citizen.

Citizens' ranks were long Wednesday before the Civil Recording Agency in Pristina to be equipped with passports.

This year's January 3rd through February 13th alone, 55 thousand 410 citizens have applied for the first time to be equipped with this document.

The last “were applied and equipped with a passport to approximately 300 thousand citizens. The increase in demand begins in December. In December of last year, 36 thousand citizens have applied. But growth continues this year. In January, 71 thousand have applied, while 27 thousand citizens have applied in February, says Blerim Camaj, director of the Civil Recording Agency.

Increasing demand has also extended expectations of being equipped with passport.

We are in a state of emergency, and expectations are longer than they are before by law. Therefore, some 30 days, citizens must wait to be equipped with passport”, Camaj says.

By March, the Civil Recording Agency has planned to increase production capacities. / RTK