Azerbaijani parliament adopts amendments to law on issuing international passports

Azerbaijan, Baku, June 12 /Trend M.Aliyev/ The Azerbaijani parliament has adopted amendments to the rules of issuance of international passports on Tuesday. Head of the committee on legal policy and government Ali Huseynli, who presented the amendments to the law on entry and exit from the country and on passports, said an international passport is issued within 10 working days after the appeal of a citizen in accordance with the amendments. The period is 30 days in accordance with the current law. Huseynli noted that the change in the law which was preceded by extensive discussions had made all the progressive proposals. "I hope that these changes will eliminate the problem of obtaining passports," the head of the committee said. MP Elmira Akhundova proposed reducing the time for issuing passports for children from 10 days to two to three days. She also proposed that issuing a passport for children under three years should be free of duty and at significant discounts for children over three years. Another amendment is that a citizen does not need to submit a photo to the relevant body while receiving a passport. It is also planned to remove the paragraph on the necessity to inscribe names of children in the passport and add their photos when a citizen departs from the country, together with minor children. It is also proposed to give issuance of international passports to children under the age of one, from one to three years, from three to 18 years and those who have reached 18. It is planned to issue international passports to children under the age of one for a year, aged from one to three years and from three to 18 for five years and those aged 18 for 10 years. Under the amendments, state duty will not be charged for using the passport service passports and its replacement. The international passport will not include the following information: surname, name, sex and year of birth of children who are under age and traveling with the citizen. An individual identification number and passport expiry will be added to the document. The passport will be equipped with an electronic data carrier (chip) on the holder of the document, including photograph and fingerprints. The authority issuing a passport takes the fingerprints and photograph. In case of expiry of the passport, change of name of its holder, if the passport or electronic carrier becomes unusable, as well as if incorrect information is revealed in the passport or in an electronic carrier, the passport must be replaced. If mistakes are recorded in the passport or an electronic carrier it must be replaced within one day and state duty will not be charged in this case. If the draft law is passed, passports issued before June 1, 2013, will remain in effect until expiration, or until a change of name and patronymic of the citizen, as well as loss of a passport, or revealing incorrect information in a passport or electronic carrier. Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az