First biometric passports issued in UK

Travellers will this week receive the first biometric UK passports.

Applicants for new passports will begin to receive the new biometric versions, which include facial recognition technology, this week.

Until August, the new-style passports will only be sent to a minority of applicants, as the government plans to rollout biometric passports gradually. After August all new applicants will receive a passport complete with a computer chip.

The chip allows the carrier's identity to be verified, for example by mapping the distance between facial features.

It will be possible to include information, such as fingerprints or iris scans, on the biometric passport. However, at present the International Civil Aviation Authority has only made facial recognition mandatory.

The government believes the new-style passports, which include more elaborate designs and complex watermarks, will help improve security and reduce the risk of identity fraud.

"Biometric technology makes use of the unique features we all have and there is no doubt that the use of biometric information to link a person to a passport will enhance security," said home office minister Andy Burnham.

Posted by Just the Flight, 05 March 2006 08:37

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