8 passports issued for St. Maarten with glitch will be replaced for free | THE DAILY HERALD

PHILIPSBURG–About eight Dutch passports issued for residents in St. Maarten may have a “production error” and have been recalled. These passports will be replaced for free.

According to a press release issued by the Department of Communications (DCOMM), the Department of Civil Registry in St. Maarten had a total of 766 passports produced from April to June 2018, ending with serial number three, and 8 of the passports are presumed to have the production error.

According to DCOMM, the Minister of Internal Affairs in the Netherlands issued “a passport recall and/or check,” due to “a possible glitch” in one of the security features placed in the chips of some recently produced Dutch passports.

During the production of the passports, issued from April to June 2018, the possibility exists that about 8 passports for Sint Maarten may have a security chip that is affected.

To date, the security feature does not affect the legitimacy of the passport, which is still valid and able to work at border points, immigration controls and/or airports.

The travel documents are without doubt usable, even if there is a technical error in the security chip, the release said. “It is only for passports that have been applied for and produced in the period from April 2018 to June 2018, where the serial number ends with a three. This can be seen on the top right hand of the front page,” the release said.

Persons can first check their passports by checking the serial number in their passports, located on the first page of the passport.

Persons who have applied for a passport in the period of April to June 2018 and the serial number on their passport ends with a three, can check whether there is a production error by following the instructions on the following app that has to be downloaded. Download the free app ‘BZK-ID’ via Google Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=idemia.nl.checkid). The app is only to be used on an Android phone.

Only passports with the serial number ending with a number 3 from the period April through June 2018 can and should be checked with this app. Persons can also visit the Department of Civil Registry at the Government Administration Building. If after verification, it appears that the passport has a production error, the Department of Civil Registry will make an appointment for the re-issuance of the passports at the Civil Registry department. The passports that have a production error will be replaced free of charge.

Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/79148-8-passports-issued-for-st-maarten-with-glitch-will-be-replaced-for-free

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