A reader named Asta contacted 15min, sharing that when she needed to renew her passport, the state system did not allow her to register for an appointment in time, forcing her to choose between paying nearly 200 euros for a one-day passport service or risking not receiving the document before her trip.
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However, the Migration Department insists that this procedure has been in place for more than two years, is publicly announced, and the system has proven effective.
Attempted to register in advance but found no available slots
Asta (real name known to the editorial team), who needed to renew her passport before a planned trip on June 16, intended to use the expedited service, which produces a passport within five working days. This service costs 100 euros.
However, when registering online in Vilnius, the earliest available appointment was only offered on June 11. “In other words, the state registration system did not allow me to get an appointment in time to use this service,” the woman said.
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Since the situation was urgent, Asta decided not to take any risks and went directly to the Migration Department office. However, only upon arrival did she learn that the five-working-day passport production is only available to those who have registered in advance.
“After waiting for more than an hour, a specialist listened to my situation, and her first question was whether I am disabled or have any other benefits. When I answered no, I was told that the five-working-day passport production is only available to those who have registered in advance (and, I guess, those with state benefits). Since I had no registration, I was offered only one option – passport production within one working day for nearly 200 euros,” the reader recounted.
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