                     PASSPORTS       [ CAP. 61.   1
CHAPTER 61 
PASSPORTS ORDINANCE
To repeal and re-enact with amendments the law relating to passports.
(10th July, 1928) *
Enacted by ORDINANCE III of 1928, as amended by Ordinance XLV of
1939; Legal Notice 4 of 1963; and Acts: XXXIV of 1965, XXII of 1976 and
XLIX of 1981.
Short title.
Interpretation. 
Amended by: 
XXXIV. 1965.2.
2. In this Ordinance - 
"Malta" has the same meaning as is assigned to it by section 124
of the Constitution of Malta;
"the Minister" means the Minister for the time being responsible
for matters relating to passports;
"passport" includes a certificate of identity, identity card or other
official document issued for travel purposes by a competent
authority;
the expression "transfer" means the delivery of a passport by any
person, whether lawfully or unlawfully in possession thereof, to
any other person not entitled to use or have such passport, whether
such delivery takes place gratuitously or for money or other
valuable consideration.
Transfer of 
passport. 
Amended by: 
XLIX. 1981.4.
3. Any person who - 
( a ) being in possession of a passport whether issued to
him by a competent authority or not, transfers such
passport to any other person; or
( b ) receives a passport transferred to him by any other
person, 
shall, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding two years.
Use of passport 
issued to another 
person. 
Amended by: 
XLIX. 1981.4.
4. Any person who makes use, or attempts to make use of a
passport issued to any other person, shall, on conviction, be liable
to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months.
Falsification of 
passport. 
Amended by: 
XLIX. 1981.4.
5. Any person who forges, alters or tampers with any passport
or uses or has in his possession any passport which he knows to be
forged, altered or tampered with, shall, on conviction, be liable to
imprisonment for a term from six months to two years.
False statement in 
application for 
passport. 
Amended by: 
XLIX. 1981.4.
6. Any person who knowingly makes any false statement in
any application or recommendation in connection with the issue or
renewal of a passport, shall, on conviction, be liable to
imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months.
* See  Proclamation No. VIII of the 10th July, 1928.
  2        CAP. 61. ]              PASSPORTS
Refusal to deliver 
passport to 
Passport officer or 
Police.
7. Any person who, on being required by the Passport officer
or the Police to deliver any passport of which he is in possession,
shall refuse or fail to do so within the time fixed by such officer or
by the Police, shall, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for a
term not exceeding three months:
  Provided that the court may if satisfied, after full investigation
of all the circumstances, that the passport has been lost, destroyed
or otherwise mislaid, impose upon such person a fine ( ammenda ).
Loss of passport. 8. (1) If any person loses a passport he shall, within seven
days after discovering the loss, report the same to the Passport
Office or at a Police Station either in person or in writing.
(2) If any person finds a passport he shall, within forty-eight
hours of finding it, deliver it either to the Passport Office or to the
Police.
(3) Any person who fails to report the loss of a passport or to
deliver up a passport found by him, shall be liable on conviction to
the punishments laid down for contraventions.
Power of Minister 
to make 
regulations. 
Amended by: 
L.N. 4 of 1963; 
XXXIV. 1965.3.
9. The Minister may, from time to time, make regulations
respecting the form, issue, possession, inspection and renewal of
passports in Malta and, in respect of passports issued to citizens of
Malta, outside Malta, and the visas of passports held by persons
landing in or leaving Malta.
Punishment for 
non-compliance 
with regulations. 
Amended by: 
XLVI. 1939.2; L.N. 
4 of 1963; 
XXXIV.1965.4; 
XXII. 1976.4.
Cap. 217.
10. (1) Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with
any regulation made by the Minister under the last preceding
section shall be liable on conviction to the punishments laid down
or contraventions.
(2) Where the offender under subsection (1) of this section is a
person other than a citizen of Malta, the court may also, on
conviction, order such offender to leave Malta and the provisions
of the Immigration Act, relative to a Removal Order under that Act,
shall apply in such case.
Trial of offences. 
Added by: 
XXXIV. 1965.5.
11. Where any of the offences referred to in sections 3, 4, 5, 6
and 10 of this Ordinance is committed outside Malta in relation to a
passport issued to a citizen of Malta, the offender may in Malta be
prosecuted, tried and punished in the same manner and to the same
extent as if the offence had been committed in Malta.
