Bekasi. Indonesia's Immigration Office said its mobile passport service at the BTV Semesta Berpesta festival in Bekasi drew strong public interest on Sunday, with all 100 appointment slots fully booked.

The weekend service was part of the Immigration Directorate General's outreach program to bring passport services closer to the public and offer a more convenient alternative for applicants who wish to avoid long queues at immigration offices.

The service operated from 8 a.m. to midday at Plaza Patriot Candrabhaga in Bekasi, where applicants who had secured appointments through the M-Paspor application completed document verification and biometric registration.

One applicant, Nani, 40, said she was applying for a passport ahead of her upcoming umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. She had previously submitted an application through the regular process but failed to complete the payment before the deadline.

She learned about the special weekend service from immigration officers while visiting the Bekasi Immigration Office the previous week.

"The process was very fast and really convenient. It saved me a lot of time, and while I was taking care of my passport, my child could enjoy the festival and have something to eat," she said.

Another applicant, Beryl, 38, from Rawalumbu in Bekasi, said she registered through social media after learning about the event. She plans to use her new passport for an umrah pilgrimage and overseas travel with her family.

"If services like this are available on weekends, it really helps those of us who work five days a week. The whole process took only about 15 minutes because there were several service booths," she said.

Bhimsa Sanlito, head of the Travel Document Services Section at the Bekasi Immigration Office, said the event formed part of the Immigration Directorate General's effort to make passport services more accessible through mobile outreach programs.

"We opened 100 appointment slots today, and all of them were filled. Public enthusiasm has been very high, with the quota fully booked within a day of registration opening," Bhimsa said.

To speed up processing, the Bekasi Immigration Office deployed four interview booths and a mobile service vehicle, allowing officers to efficiently serve applicants, including elderly people and infants.

All applicants had registered in advance through the M-Paspor application after the special service location for the festival was announced on social media.

The Bekasi Immigration Office said mobile passport services such as this are intended to make immigration services more accessible without requiring applicants to take time off work during the week.

Add as a preferred source on Google +