A long queue of people has formed in Kathmandu to issue passports.
The crowd has gathered at the Department of Passports in Tripureshwor, Kathmandu, with young men and women making up most of the line.
As the number of applicants for jobs in South Korea under the Employment Permit System (EPS) has risen, the Department of Passports has been running electronic passport services in two shifts starting today.
The department had issued a notice on Wednesday saying it would run two shifts until August 7.
The department said the arrangement was made to make services more accessible after the number of applicants for South Korea’s EPS program rose sharply over the past week.
According to the department, the first shift will run from 7 am to 2 pm and the second from 2 pm to 9 pm, from July 30 to August 7.
Similarly, the department said it would provide electronic passport services on Saturdays, Sundays, and other public holidays. On public holidays, services will run from 10 am to 4 pm, according to the department’s notice.
The rise in passport seekers has come alongside the increase in EPS applicants, since a passport is mandatory to proceed with the employment process in South Korea, a trend the department says has driven the surge in demand for passport services over the past week.
The department said the extended hours and two-shift system were arranged to manage the growing crowd and ensure timely service.
