Grenada started issuing passports for people 18 years old and above with a validity of 10 years, up from the previous 5-year validity.
However, Grenada passports for those under 18 years of age will maintain a five-year validity period, recognizing the rapid changes in young people’s appearances.
Prime Minister and Minister of Immigration Dickon Mitchell told the parliament last month, “From the time we assumed office, citizens have complained, understandably so, about the fact that our Grenada passport validity passport has a shorter lifespan than the average passport throughout most of the OECS, Caricom countries, and in fact, the international community.”
“Once this bill is enacted, it will allow our citizens, when they apply for a new passport or when they renew their old passport, to have a 10-year passport issued,” the Prime Minister remarked.
Highlighting the practical benefits, PM Mitchell noted that the extended validity will particularly aid those traveling to the USA and Canada, where visas often outlast the current five-year passport validity.
“Now you can have a passport that is 10 years when you renew the old passport, so you don’t have to staple two of them together and walk around with them,” he explained, emphasizing the convenience for frequent travelers.