the government presents an “emergency plan aimed at improving delivery times”

Government spokesman Gabriel Attal presented, Wednesday, May 4 at the end of the Council of Ministers, an “emergency plan aimed at improving the deadlines for issuing passports and national identity cards”, without specifying any details. maximum lead time target. Currently, the average time is “65 days”, “compared to 27 days in January 2022 and 11.5 days in April 2021”. “In some departments, waiting times can exceed 100 days”according to the Ministry of the Interior.

This unprecedented increase is notably due to a “catching up” following the health crisis, according to Gabriel Attal, but also to “the seasonal increase in demand” and to “the attraction aroused by the new identity card”according to a press release from the Ministry of the Interior.

The emergency plan must make it possible to “multiply the slots”. “50,000 additional requests can be collected each week”says Gabriel Attal. “The prefects have already engaged in a dialogue with the mayors in order to deploy these new devices”specifies the Ministry of the Interior, which invites applicants to carry out a “online pre-application on the website of the National Agency for Secure Documents” to optimize lead times.

A “exceptional envelope of 10 million euros” will provide financial support “the municipalities that will mobilize in this collective effort”details the Ministry of the Interior, which claims to have increased by “30%” its workforce since the beginning of 2022.

To face this “unprecedented situation”the Ministry of the Interior also specifies that “National identity cards and passports expired less than 5 years ago will be valid to take the exams scheduled for May and June”. This will also be the case for “registration for driving licenses in driving schools”.