The Passport Office will be open to the public for passport applications and collection on a schedule of six days per week, starting from yesterday till 15 June 2006:

• On Mondays to Fridays, from 7.30am to 2pm.

• On Wednesdays only, the office will also be open from 3pm to 6pm.

• On Saturdays, the office will be open from 7.30am to 11am.

The general public is urged to use these extended office hours in order to avoid queues, save time and thus help the office give a better service.

The address of the Civil Registration Department is 217 St Paul Street, Valletta and the telephone numbers are 2122-2286, 2124-6821 and Freephone 800-772386.

Application forms can be collected from the Passport Office, police stations, local councils and most travel agents. They can also be downloaded from the Justice and Home Affairs Ministry website: www.mjha.gov.mt/services/passports/passport.html

The public is also notified that, from 1 October until 15 June 2005, the Passport Office in Gozo will be open from 7.45am to 11.30am and from 1.30pm to 4pm from Mondays to Fridays and on Saturdays from 7.30am to 11am. The relevant telephone numbers are 2156-0770 and 2156-0791.