Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs

A machine-readable passport has certain biographical data entered on the data page in accordance with standards set by the International Civil Aviation  Organization (ICAO), Doc 9303, Part 1 Machine Readable Passports. In its current form, machine- readable passports generally have two lines of text that can be read using Optical Character Recognition (OCR). The strips of text contain the holder's basic personal details, e.g. name, date of birth, nationality and the passport number.

The ICAO has mandated all member states, of which Trinidad and Tobago is a member, to begin issuing Machine Readable Passports no later than April 1, 2010. The most recently set date of completion is 31st December, 2011, which is the date to which extensions are being granted

The Machine Readable Passports can be obtained from the following Missions:

Trinidad and Tobago Embassy – Washington, DC
Trinidad and Tobago Consulate – New York
Trinidad and Tobago Consulate – Toronto, Canada
Trinidad and Tobago High Commission – London UK
Trinidad and Tobago Embassy – Caracas, Venezuela

Machine Readable Passport applications may also be submitted to the following six offices in Trinidad and Tobago:-
Port-of-Spain, San Fernando, Scarborough, Sangre Grande, Chaguanas and Pt. Fortin

1.A completed application form – ALL sections to be filled out
2.Evidence of Citizenship of Trinidad and Tobago such as:- ◦Computerized Birth Certificate (If your Manual Birth Certificate previously required an affidavit, that Birth certificate and Affidavit should be provided), Registration Certificate, Naturalization Certificate or Adoption Certificate with a pin # and accompanied by a letter by the Adoption Board in support of the Birth Certificate. (Note: If you have previously lost your Trinidad and Tobago Citizenship you MUST present your Restoration or Reacquisition Certificate)

3.Previous Passport
4.ALL marriage certificates - Divorce or Death Certificates of spouse
5.Evidence of parents citizenship (in cases of citizenship by descent) – ALL documents of parents inclusive of Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Affidavits, Passport to establish their identity and citizenship relative to offspring
6.Evidence of the date of any other citizenship – e.g. U.S. Naturalization Certificate ◦For residents of the USA, the Alien Registration Card,
◦For non-residents another form of identification other than your Passport

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED.

(Also see checklist)

Ten years  for adults, however, five(5) years for children 16 years and under.

No. All first time applicants for the Machine Readable Passport must appear in person to be photographed at the Consulate.

You should make some arrangement to acquire your computer generated birth certificate as the pin number is required for the Machine Readable Passport. Your options may include contacting a relative in Trinidad and Tobago to apply to the Registrar General’s Department on your behalf, or, or submitting an application via the Miami Consulate.

There is a 2-3 months waiting period. In the interim you will be allowed to retain your previous passport, if it is valid, until the new book is issued. You must, however submit original passport to be cancelled at that time along with the original receipt issued to you. Application forms are available on this website. An Emergency Travel Document or an extension can be completed on the same day that your application for an MRP is processed.

The cost is:
Regular 32 pg book - $60.00 US
Business 48 pg book - $76.00 US
Emergency book - $ 68.00 US
Replacement of valid Lost, damaged or mutilated book - $180.00 US

Person wishing to have their passports mailed to them are required to pay an additional $9.55 U.S. postage fee. Fees are to be paid in the form of money order/ postal order/ bankers check made payable to the respective Embassy or Consulate General of Trinidad and Tobago.

Any Passport that is lost should be reported immediately.
B. Lost passport notification form is available on line and should be submitted along with the regular application form for a passport and relevant documents. A notarized statement and a police incident report is also required.

REMEMBER A PASSPORT IS A PRIMARY IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENT. YOU MUST SECURE IT IN ORDER TO PREVENT IDENTITY THEFT.

The Trinidad and Tobago Government has taken a decision to set its own deadline of December 30, 2011 to phase out the old passport. However, passports which are not machine readable and valid until 24th November 2015 can still be used for travel, in accordance with the international Civil Aviation guidelines which state as follows:

Passports issued after the 24th November 2005 which are not machine readable, contracting States shall ensure the expiration date falls before 24th November 2015. It also states that non machine readable passports valid up to the date or just before that date are still valid for travel.

Because all of your information is now tied to the new Machine Readable Passport Pin No., and because your previous documents presented were not scanned and computerized. This situation is now being corrected and would not be necessary in the future.

Only if you have lost your passport or your previous MRP is now full or expired & it needs to be renewed.

Persons who live in the USA and would like to have their passports mailed to them MUST do the following:

• Name and Mailing address where the passport is to be sent
• Enclose a money order for $9.55
• Enclose the passport to be cancelled

This requirement may be waived at the time of application.

A restoration of citizenship is needed if you:

• Are a former citizen of Trinidad and Tobago
  either by birth or by descent.

• Lost your Trinidad and Tobago citizenship prior to July 29, 1988 either by:

Voluntarily acquiring the citizenship of another
country. (For example, if you became a citizen of the United States on May 1,
1987, you must file for a restoration of citizenship, for any date after July 29, 1988 a restoration is not necessary)

Renouncing your Trinidad and Tobago citizenship.

If you fall in any of the above categories, a Restoration Certificate would be required prior to applying for a Trinidad and Tobago Passport.