Citizens Appreciate Weekend Passport Services for Busy Professionals
Citizens flocked to the weekend passport services at the Immigration Lounge in Pondok Indah Mall (PIM) 3, South Jakarta. Applicants expressed that the service is immensely helpful as it eliminates the need to sacrifice working hours to manage passport matters.
Unlike regular immigration offices that close on weekends, the Immigration Lounge at PIM 3 remains operational every Saturday. This service specifically offers an expedited or ‘same day’ category, where passports can be completed on the same day.
One applicant, Sulis (40), a resident of Cibubur, admitted she only learned about the Saturday service through a colleague. She feels this service is a solution for workers who struggle to find free time during the work week.
“Actually, I didn’t know, because of my work position. It is quite difficult to request permission or leave to renew or create a new passport. When searching for regular slots, most are usually full,” said Sulis when met at the location.
Sulis described the passport application process as quite fast. She noted that she registered via the M-Paspor application on Friday (4/9) and immediately secured a quota for the following day.
“Yes, you register online through M-Paspor, fill in the details, and select a date. After hearing from a friend that there was a Saturday option at PIM, I tried applying on Friday for a Saturday slot,” she explained.
According to her, the on-site process was not complicated and took only one hour. She simply re-registered, had her photo taken, provided fingerprints, and then waited for the passport to be completed.
“It wasn’t complicated; it was very practical. After filling in the M-Paspor details, we were instructed to pay via a provided link. Once paid, we received a PDF to present upon arrival. Then it was just the photo and fingerprints, and that was it,” she explained.
Similarly, Ahmad Irfan (32), a resident of Bogor, also utilised the Saturday service. For him, the weekend service is very helpful for workers who are occasionally constrained by time during the week.
“Since Saturday is a holiday, it is very helpful. You don’t need to request leave from the office,” said Irfan.
Irfan specifically chose this fast-track service for his upcoming Umrah pilgrimage in October. He chose to handle the matter early to ensure peace of mind.
Despite facing some issues due to system maintenance on the application, he eventually managed to secure a quota.
“Actually, there was maintenance on the app yesterday. It was undergoing maintenance until 12:00 PM, and it hadn’t finished by the time I needed it. So, I came today, though I had registered yesterday,” Irfan revealed.
Irfan expressed hope that other public service agencies, such as the Civil Registry (Dukcapil) or the banking sector, could follow the Immigration Department’s lead by opening weekend services to assist members of the public with limited weekday availability.
“It is a recommendation I would make; it is really needed. Sometimes we simply do not have the time to manage these matters during the work week,” he concluded.