The Manpower Ministry urged on Thursday Egyptian expatriates who have work contracts to swiftly change their non-automated passports to machine-readable passports (MRPs) as soon as possible.

The Foreign Ministry has previously cautioned that all non-MRPs will be out of circulation by November in line with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regulations.

Any Egyptian expatriate holding a non-MRP will face difficulties in getting papers from the Egyptian embassies or work permits, the Manpower Ministry said.