The number of people who apply for biometric passports continues to increase. In an interview for Radio Free Europe, ICT Minister Pavel Filip said the work program of the offices of the document issuing company “Registru” may be extended by two-three hours so as to cope with the demand, IPN reports.

Pavel Filip said the people must know that it’s not obligatory to go to the offices in the area where they live. They can go to any office, in any settlement of Moldova to apply for biometric passports.

As regards the price of the passport, the minister said it will not go down in the near future. “I want to note that we reduced the price from 1,250 to 700 lei and today the price of identification papers is oriented to cost,” said Pavel Filip.

About 2 million Moldovans hold ordinary valid passports, according to the situation on January 1, 2014. “Registru” is able to process about 1,500 biometric passports a day, which is up to half a million passports a year.