Palau Establishes Steering Committee to Guide Passport Digitalization

Ngerekebesang, Palau – April 18, 2025 – The Government of Palau, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and with financial support from the Government of Japan, officially launched the “Enhancing Border Management Capacity through the Introduction of an E-Passport for the Republic of Palau” Project during a meeting held at the Embassy of Japan in Ngerekebesang. This marks a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to align Palauan passports with international good practices to augment security of the passport issuance system. This shift will not only protect Palauan passport holders from identity theft, but also ensure seamless access to passport application for all citizens.

The meeting convened key stakeholders including Hon. Gustav Aitaro, Minister of State, His Excellency Hiroyuki Orikasa, Ambassador of Japan to Palau, senior officials from the Ministry of State, Finance, Justice and the Judiciary Branch along with representatives from the IOM and the Embassy of Japan.

The USD 4.5 million initiative, funded by the Government of Japan, will transition Palauan passports to electronic, machine-readable passports (e-MRPs) that feature embedded biometric data, significantly improving security and global compatibility. Over the next three years, the project will digitalize Palau’s passport application and issuance systems and introduce new technologies and infrastructure to strengthen the country’s identity management capacity.

In his opening remarks, Hon. Minister Gustav Aitaro, Minister of State, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening travel document integrity and enhancing service delivery to Palauan citizens.

His Excellency Ambassador Orikasa emphasized Japan’s strong partnership with Palau in building effective border systems.

Salvatore Sortino, IOM Chief of Mission for Micronesia, highlighted the project’s potential to improve travel convenience, reduce identity fraud, and strengthen regional security.

A key outcome of the meeting was the formal establishment of the Project Steering Committee, which will provide strategic oversight and ensure inter-agency coordination throughout the life of the project. Chaired by the Minister of State, the Committee comprises senior representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Justice, Judiciary Branch, and Embassy of Japan (as an observer), with IOM serving as the Secretariat.

The E-Passport Project is a timely intervention that responds to the evolving mobility needs of Palauans and the realities of international travel in a post-pandemic world. It represents a major step forward in strengthening Palau’s border infrastructure and expanding access to secure, reliable travel documents for all its citizens. The members of the Steering Committee will meet again in August to review project progress.