In June and July 2021, the Lower Austrian administrative authorities issued more passports than ever before. It was even possible to beat the record set in 2021, explains Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP).

Many travel documents expired in the previous year, but the passport holders initially did not apply for a new passport. It is very likely that this is also due to the fact that many people decided not to travel abroad in 2020. In June 2021, 25.464 passports and 4.404 identity cards were issued in Lower Austria alone. In July there were 28.752 and 4.576 units respectively.

The statistics of the state government also show that in the Alpine republic the identity card is still a rather little in demand document. Citizens obviously still prefer the classic passport. In Germany, the balance sheet looks completely different, because many residents only have an identity card, which can only be used as a travel document to a very limited extent outside the European Union.

Lower Austria's governor, Mikl-Leitner, explains that the enormous rush to the passport offices of the administrative authorities could only be managed with the help of online appointment reservations. Nevertheless, emergency passports were issued quickly in urgent cases, for example.