EPassports
According to an article on a web based news site, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office has begun trialling biometric passports with its foreign diplomats. The passports are in the same format that it is anticipated will be used when issued to the general public.
The Silicon.com article reports that a Foreign Office spokesman has identified February as the month when the new passports will begin to be issued, with all new passports as ePassports by August in time for the October 26th Visa Waiver deadline. The trials began in September at the Paris consulate, and there was a second trial at Washington in October. The trial passports will be withdrawn at the end of the trial. The article goes on to report that the biometrics will be “first generation” consisting of a digital photo. According to the Home Office later issues will feature a chip containing a scanned image of unique facial features such as an iris scan. The Home Office have also announced that from late 2006 their will be face to face interviews for all first-time adult passport applications.
Posted on 9 November 2005
