Biometric passports

[bblb]

Does anyone have any information on the new biometric British Passports? Have they been launched yet? If not, any idea when they might be launched?

[ppron747]

I don't know about the UKPS, but they're supposed to be starting in the British Embassy in Washington "in early February" according to the BritainUSA website.
Contrary to someone's earlier post, they don't look much different on the outside from the previous generation. The pages have different security printing on them - pictures of birds, I think - and the data page is laminated on both sides, with the chip and antenna under the laminate on the reverse.

The UKPS website also has a page, and a downloadable leaflet about it.

[ezh]

the biometric passports will be available for everyone applying for a new passport from September 2006. The biometrics perhaps will cost much more - is it right? It is also not clear to me whether one will have a choise to get an old standart digital passport from September.

Some people can get the biometrics even now (as it is stated in the recent guidance "How to fill a passport application form"). Although it is not clear whether one can specificly ask for a biometric passport at the moment. Perhaps they are given only in the British Embassies in the US (see ppron747 post above).

From UKPS site:
"The data on the chip (your photo and personal information as printed on page 31 of the passport) will be protected against skimming (and “eavesdropping”) by an advanced digital encryption technique."

Could any UK passport holder, please, explain what "personal information" of page 31 consists of (apart of obvious Name and Surname)?

[ezh]

Found on the BritainUSA web page: in the British Embassy in the US they are currently charging $185 (about £110) for a biometric passport . Presumably it will cost £185 here in the UK three times over the current price of £51 - which is fine, I suppose, keeping in mind all this fraud, terrorism etc. I personaly would like to get a biometric passport

[Marie B]

Code: Select all

Could any UK passport holder, please, explain what "personal information" of page 31 consists of (apart of obvious Name and Surname)?

Photograph
Passport number
Name / Surname
Nationality
Date of Birth
Sex
Place of Birth
Date of issue / expiry
Issuing Authority
Signature

[ezh]

Thanks, Marie B

[ppron747]

Found on the BritainUSA web page: in the British Embassy in the US they are currently charging $185 (about £110) for a biometric passport . Presumably it will cost £185 here in the UK three times over the current price of £51 - which is fine, I suppose, keeping in mind all this fraud, terrorism etc. I personaly would like to get a biometric passport

The Consular Fees Order, detailing the fees, is onthe Office of Public Sector Information website. The Foreign Office has set seearate fees for biometric and non-biometric passports, presumably because they are being phased in across FCO posts, and they'll need separate fees until all posts have been upgraded. The UKPS - on that Order, at least - seem to be charging a flat, lower, fee, regardless of whether the passport is biometric or not. I'd guess that this is because until the new passport equipment has been fully installed in UK, it'll be pretty much luck of the draw whether you get a biometric one or not.

I'm sure the UK fees will increase once they're fully "tooled up" to issue nothing but biometrics, but I doubt that reach your estimate for a while, ezh.

Passports are traditionally more expensive overseas than they are in the UK, because it is cheaper to produce a passport when you're producing them in bulk, like UKPS. They produce several million passports a year, in what is effectively a factory, whereas somewhere like Washington produces a few tens of thousands. A smaller operation costs more, per book, and I can't see this changing with the introduction of biometrics.

[JAJ]

Passports are traditionally more expensive overseas than they are in the UK, because it is cheaper to produce a passport when you're producing them in bulk, like UKPS. They produce several million passports a year, in what is effectively a factory, whereas somewhere like Washington produces a few tens of thousands. A smaller operation costs more, per book, and I can't see this changing with the introduction of biometrics.

Some countries have centralised processing of passports. I believe full validity Australian passports are now only produced (overseas) in London and Washington DC.

[confused1]

It makes sense if somebody wants a Biometric passport at the moment, altough they'll be available from some time in October. Because at the moment as far as the passport is machine readable and contains a digital photograph they can travel to USA without a visa.

But, who knows.. in few years time.. there might be a new requirement that only the biometric passport holders can travel visa free, such as in USA, then you'll have to get a new biometric passport despite your current(non-biometric) passport remaining valid for 10 years.

[ppron747]

If that does happen, I doubt that it'll be for some years, though, and who knows what biometrics will cost by then? I've got another six years on my present (digital photo) passport. If it was only a couple of years, I'd be tempted to get a new one before the UK goes all-biometric, and the price leaps up...

[bblb]

BBC News Online

UK biometric passports launched

The first UK biometric e-passports are to be issued to applicants this week, the Home Office has announced.
The high-tech documents have added security features such as a chip holding the carrier's facial details, in a bid to combat fraud and forgery.

They will be introduced gradually throughout 2006 and will be issued to all applicants by the end of August.

The Home Office said the move was to improve the "integrity and security" of British passports.

"They will also help in the detection of forged or manipulated documents while confirming the identity of the individual," said Home Office minister Andy Burnham.

"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.

"In step with our European partners we will also be considering the inclusion of fingerprints as well as facial data in due course."

Facial features

The electronic chip will contain the digitally coded measurements of holders' features, such as the distances between eyes, nose, mouth and ears.

The information will be taken from the applicant's passport photo and can be used to identify them.

The new passport will also feature pages with intricate designs and new complex watermarks.

The UK is one of 40 countries adopting the new technology and in the process of introducing e-passports.

Countries like the UK, which are part of the US visa waiver scheme, must comply with new International Civil Aviation Organisation standards and begin issuing biometric passports, incorporating a facial image, by October to remain in the scheme.

[ezh]

I've phoned the UKPS and ask for a comment of this BBC news. They said: at the moment it is impossible to specificly ask for a biometric when applying and that untill September it still will be a lottery with tiny odds for getting a biometric passport. The number of biometrics issued will grow gradually and only from September all who apply for a pssport will get a biometric one.

From elsewhere, the cost of a biometric will be about 2 times over the cost of a present digital passport.