e-passports
St. Kitts and Nevis Introduces Electronic Passports
The government of St. Kitts and Nevis began issuing new electronic passports with heightened security features to citizens of the Carribean community this week. Electronic passports contain a small electronic chip – an RFID chip – embedded in the cover that contains key information about the passport carrier such as their name, gender, date of [...]
40,000 E-Passports Already Issued in Canada
Though they won’t be available to the general public until next year, Passport Canada has already issued more than 40,000 new electronic passports to diplomats and government officials. These passports were issued as part of a pilot project that began in 2009 to test the features of Canada’s new e-passports, which, to date, have yielded [...]
Heathrow To Introduce Facial Biometric Scanners
London’s Heathrow airport announced this month that it will begin using facial biometric scanners to beef up security at its international flight terminals. The facial recognition scanners will be a second step in a security process installed at Heathrow. Currently, the airport uses the Atkins Passenger Authentication Scanning System (PASS) – a system that maintains [...]
Canadian E-Passports Delayed
Canadians expecting to acquire an electronic passport (e-passport) in the near future will have to wait just a little longer. “A proposed national roll-out of electronic passports in Canada has been pushed back for a third time,” according to a new article published by Embassy Magazine. When the plans for a national e-passport were unveiled [...]
From First-Generation to Second-Generation E-Passports
Though over 170 countries currently use machine-readable electronic passports, the world has fallen behind the deadline sought by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to have every country using e-passports by April 2010. The ICAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that sets the standards for international air transport to ensure safe travels [...]
UK Unveils E-Passport With New Security Features
In an effort to fight identity theft and fraud, the UK has unveiled a new electronic passport complete with heightened security features and a revamped design. Though the previous UK passport was already equipped with a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip – the device that makes an electronic passport electronic (read more here) – the [...]
Experts Predict More Biometric Checks In Airports
Passengers looking for quicker processing times at airports around the world will be happy to know that experts in technology, defense, and travel are predicting a significant increase in biometric checks in airports around the globe in the coming years. Using devices like retina, finger and facial scans, biometric checks not only provide a speedier [...]
Turkey To Introduce Biometric Passports June 1
The Turkish Foreign Ministry announced this week that biometric passports would be introduced to the country on June 1. Though all citizens are not required to switch to the new passports right away, those who wish to do so can begin the application process as soon as May 23. Turkey’s biometric passport will contain information [...]
E-Passport Revenues Expected To Soar Over Next Four Years: Report
A new report from US-based research firm Acuity Market Intelligence says the the global e-passport market is expected to reach annual revenues of US$7 billion by the end of 2014 as e-passports continue to grow in popularity worldwide. Acuity projects Europe’s market shares to drop in the industry from 49 per cent to 20 per [...]
VIDEO: A Look At New Zealand’s E-Passport
New Zealand’s TV One News takes a look at the country’s newly issued e-passport. This passport is considered to be one of the most highly secure, highly technological e-passports in the world. To learn more about e-passports read some of our previous blog posts like “What are E-Passports?”, “What are RFID Chips?, and Fortress Paper [...]
