Passport Launching Opens New Chapter for Ni-Vanuatu Travellers

Principal Passport Officer, Henry Tamashiro, gives presentation as New Zealand High Commissioner, Jeff Langley, and Vanuatu's Acting Minister of Internal Affairs, Paul Telukluk, look on.

A Recognised Seasonal Employment (RSE) worker, ready to work in New Zealand, was the first Ni-Vanuatu to receive a brand new ‘machine readable passport’, courtesy of the New Zealand Government’s NZD$1 million Passport Upgrade Project.  

Production of the new passport marks a new era for Vanuatu's international travellers, who have moved from having hand written passports to a modern machine produced and readable book of international standards.    

The launching of the new passport book also enables Vanuatu to comply with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards. 

The ceremony was attended by Vanuatu government ministers and officials, High Commission staff, officials from the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs and members of the public.   Mr. Langley said the use of the machine readable passports will enable Vanuatu citizens to continue to travel overseas for health, education, holiday, business and work purposes, including gaining access to the highly successful RSE.