The first-ever Tongan passport printing machine was launched on Thursday, August 10, 2023, at the Tonga Consulate-General in San Francisco.
The launch was attended by HRH The Crown Prince Tupoutoá Úlukakala and Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess, as well as members of the Tongan community in San Francisco.
The new passport printing machine will allow Tongans living in the United States to apply for and receive their passports in San Francisco, for the first time. Previously, all passport applications had to be sent to Nuku’alofa, Tonga, for processing. This often caused delays and inconvenience for Tongans living in the United States.
The launch of the new passport printing machine is part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ priority initiatives to improve collaboration with the Tongan diaspora. The Ministry is also working to establish passport printing machines in other countries with large Tongan populations, such as Australia and New Zealand.
The launch of the new passport printing machine is a major milestone for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Tongan diaspora. It will make it easier for Tongans living in the United States to obtain passports, which is essential for travel and other important purposes.