In the Styrian districts, around 59,000 passports will lose their validity this year – due to the pandemic, there will also be travel documents that have expired for a long time. The rush that is expected at the Styrian district authorities is correspondingly large.
In view of the approaching main holiday season, the experts are appealing to the Styrians to check their travel documents for validity in good time and, if necessary, to take care of a new passport being issued. Experience has shown that the rush at the passport authorities is particularly high in the summer months, so waiting times of up to several weeks must be expected. “Please note that it is necessary to make an appointment beforehand. Passport applications can also be submitted to authorized municipalities. The prerequisite, however, is that you have registered a place of residence in this municipality,” explains Andreas Weitlaner, district governor of the Graz-Surroundings district authority. In principle, the passport is valid for ten years. Exceptions are passports for minors under the age of twelve and special passports, such as the emergency passport. As an extension is not possible, a new passport must be issued after the expiry of the validity. A new passport can be applied for at any time, even if the old travel document is still valid.
