Thales, the supplier of Norwegian passports, has reported a shortage of raw materials and reduced production capacity, the Norwegian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur informs.
The shortage of raw materials is due to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The situation affects Norway and several other European countries.
Several Norwegian Embassies in Asia are therefore asking applicants who are already in possession of another country’s passport, and who do not immediately need a Norwegian passport, to wait with their application until the autumn of 2022.
Applicants will be prioritized in this order:
- Norwegian-born children abroad who do not have the opportunity to obtain another nationality passport.
- Permanent Norwegians abroad who do not have or can obtain another nationality passport.
Moreover, the Embassy notes that everyone who has agreed on a time to order a passport at the embassy is encouraged to show up as agreed, but it is unfortunately not possible to say anything about when one can expect the passport to be delivered.
Speaking on the matter, Norway’s Minister of Justice and Emergency Management Emilie Enger Mehl said in a release that the Norwegian government is taking the situation seriously, and she has summoned Thales to an emergency meeting to find out how they intend to handle this.
Moreover, the Minister emphasized amongst other things that “the Norwegian government believes it is unacceptable if many Norwegians are left without the opportunity to identify themselves with a passport or ID card for a long time, and expects Thales to implement measures as soon as possible.”
