New passport service center opens at Bucharest mall

The new headquarters of the Bucharest Passport Service opened on Monday, August 21, at the Plaza Romania mall in the capital. The new office is located at the second floor of the shopping mall. Its normal program should have been 08:30 to 16:30 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 08:30 to 18:30 on Tuesdays, but the office will stay open between 08:30 and 18:30 from Monday to Friday in August, at the request of the interior minister, according to a statement from the Ministry. The fees for issuing passports can be paid at the Treasury counter opened at the shopping center's first level, as well as at the bank units existing at the same level, via bank transfer. Moreover, those who want a new passport can also pay the fees online - through the services provided by the banking units, and by postal order at the post offices. Citizens can also submit requests to pick up passports at the other two offices located at 49, Pipera Road and 13, Piata Amzei. However, the offices located at 42B, Ion Tuculescu street, 1, Straduintei street, and 1-3, Virtutii street were closed once the new office in Plaza Romania mall was opened. Huge queues formed at passport service offices in Bucharest and other parts of the country in the past few weeks, as many Romanians want to change or get a new passport in the summer months. Some of them are working abroad and come back to Romania to change their passports during their summer break while others need passports for their holidays abroad. The authorities have tried to find solutions to this problem, such as longer working hours for the staff at the offices that release passports. Moreover, Interior Minister Carmen Dan announced that she has initiated a bill to increase the validity of passports from five to ten years for people aged over 25. Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com