The passport center of the Foreign Ministry has so far issued 50,000 new machine readable passports (automated passports) since raising the working capacity of the center, ministry spokesman Badr Abdel Aati said.

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry had given instructions to remove any obstacles and fulfill the needs of Egyptians expats for the new passports before the old ones expire, the spokesman said.

According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), non-machine readable passports should be out of circulation by November 24, 2015.