Taipei, April 16 (CNA) From May 17, United Kingdom passport applications for British nationals will no longer be handled by the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) and will need to be sent directly by the applicant to a regional passport processing center in Hong Kong, the UK's representative office in Taiwan announced Friday in a press release.
The office will no longer accept passport applications from British nationals, said the BTCO, Britain's official authority in Taiwan in the absence of bilateral diplomatic ties.
Previously, the BTCO acted as a middleman for British passport applications in Taipei, accepting the applications, sending them to the issuing authorities in Hong Kong, and then issuing the passport to the applicant.
According to the BTCO, the changes are part of a global initiative to streamline the issuance of passports overseas.
The Passport Processing Center in Hong Kong, which will produce and return passports directly to applicants in Taiwan, aims to issue all new passports within 10 working days, the office said.
If British nationals need to travel urgently, however, the BTCO will still be able to issue emergency travel documents. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J