A biometric passport, also known as an e-passport or ePassport, is a combined paper and electronic passport

Passport

A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....

 that contains biometric information that can be used to authenticate the identity of travelers. It uses contactless smart card

Contactless smart card

A contactless smart card is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits that can process and store data, and communicate with a terminal via radio waves. There are two broad categories of contactless smart cards. Memory cards contain non-volatile memory storage components, and perhaps...

 technology, including a microprocessor

Microprocessor

A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...

 chip (computer chip) and antenna (for both power to the chip and communication) embedded in the front or back cover, or center page, of the passport. Document and chip characteristics are documented in the International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) Doc 9303. The passport's critical information is both printed on the data page of the passport and stored in the chip. Public Key Infrastructure

Public key infrastructure

Public Key Infrastructure is a set of hardware, software, people, policies, and procedures needed to create, manage, distribute, use, store, and revoke digital certificates. In cryptography, a PKI is an arrangement that binds public keys with respective user identities by means of a certificate...

 (PKI) is used to authenticate the data stored electronically in the passport chip making it expensive and difficult to forge when all security mechanisms are fully and correctly implemented.

The currently standardized biometrics used for this type of identification system are facial recognition, fingerprint

Fingerprint

A fingerprint in its narrow sense is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. In a wider use of the term, fingerprints are the traces of an impression from the friction ridges of any part of a human hand. A print from the foot can also leave an impression of friction ridges...

 recognition, and iris recognition

Iris recognition

Iris recognition is an automated method of biometric identification that uses mathematical pattern-recognition techniques on video images of the irides of an individual's eyes, whose complex random patterns are unique and can be seen from some distance....

. These were adopted after assessment of several different kinds of biometrics including retinal scan

Retinal scan

A retinal scan is a biometric technique that uses the unique patterns on a person's retina to identify them. It is not to be confused with another ocular-based technology, iris recognition.-Introduction:...

. The ICAO defines the biometric file formats and communication protocols to be used in passports. Only the digital image (usually in JPEG

JPEG

In computing, JPEG . The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality....

 or JPEG2000 format) of each biometric feature is actually stored in the chip. The comparison of biometric features is performed outside the passport chip by electronic border control systems (e-borders). To store biometric data on the contactless chip, it includes a minimum of 32 kilobytes of EEPROM

EEPROM

EEPROM stands for Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory and is a type of non-volatile memory used in computers and other electronic devices to store small amounts of data that must be saved when power is removed, e.g., calibration...

 storage memory, and runs on an interface in accordance with the ISO/IEC 14443 international standard, amongst others. These standards intend interoperability between different countries and different manufacturers of passport books.

Some national identity cards (e.g. in the Netherlands

Dutch identity card

The Dutch identity card is an official non-compulsory identity document issued to Dutch nationals in the European part of the Netherlands and certain diplomatic missions...

, Albania

Albanian Identity Card

The Albanian Identity Card is a national identity card that is issued by the Albanian authorities to their citizens. It is proof of identity, citizenship and residence of the Albanian citizens. The current version is in ID1 format and biometric.-History:Albania issued identity cards to its...

 and Brazil

Brazilian Identity Card

The identity card — diversely named in Portuguese cédula de identidade cartão/carteira de identidade or "RG" , depending on the state — is the national official identity document in Brazil...

) are fully ICAO9303 compliant biometric travel documents. However others, such as the USA Passport card

Passport card

The passport card is an alternative to a passport produced in the United States to meet the documentary requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The U.S. Passport Card is a wallet-size travel document, issued to U.S...

, are not.

Data protection

Biometric passports are equipped with protection mechanisms to avoid and / or detect attacks:

• Non-traceable chip characteristics. Random chip identifiers reply to each request with a different chip number. This prevents tracing of passport chips. Using random identification numbers is optional.
• Basic Access Control
  Basic Access Control
  Basic Access Control is a mechanism specified to ensure only authorized parties can wirelessly read personal information from passports with an RFID chip. It uses data such as the passport number, date of birth and expiration date to negotiate a session key. This key can then be used to encrypt...
  
   (BAC). BAC protects the communication channel between the chip and the reader by encrypting transmitted information. Before data can be read from a chip, the reader needs to provide a key which is derived from the Machine Readable Zone [Mrz]: the date of birth, the date of expiry and the document number. If BAC is used, an attacker cannot (easily) eavesdrop transferred information without knowing the correct key. Using BAC is optional.
• Passive Authentication (PA). PA prevents modification of passport chip data. The chip contains a file (SOD) that stores hash values of all files stored in the chip (picture, finger print, etc.) and a digital signature of these hashes. The digital signature is made using a document signing key which itself is signed by a country signing key. If a file in the chip (e.g. the picture) is changed, this can be detected since the hash value is incorrect. Readers need access to all used public country keys to check whether the digital signature is generated by a trusted country. Using PA is mandatory.
• Active Authentication (AA). AA prevents cloning of passport chips. The chip contains a private key that cannot be read or copied, but its existence can easily be proven. Using AA is optional.
• Extended Access Control
  Extended access control
  Extended Access Control is a mechanism specified to allow only authorized Inspection system to read sensitive biometric data such as fingerprints from ePassports...
  
   (EAC). EAC adds functionality to check the authenticity of both the chip (chip authentication) and the reader (terminal authentication). Furthermore it uses stronger encryption than BAC. EAC is typically used to protect finger prints and iris scans. Using EAC is optional. In the EU, using EAC is mandatory for all documents issued starting 28 June 2009.
• Shielding the chip. This prevents unauthorized reading. Some countries - including at least the US - have integrated a very thin metal mesh into the passport's cover to act as a shield
  Faraday cage
  A Faraday cage or Faraday shield is an enclosure formed by conducting material or by a mesh of such material. Such an enclosure blocks out external static and non-static electric fields...
  
   when the passport cover is closed. The use of shielding is optional.

Attacks

Since the introduction of biometric passports several attacks are presented and demonstrated:

• Non-traceable chip characteristics. In 2008 a Radboud / Lausitz University team demonstrated that it's possible to determine which country a passport chip is from without knowing the key required for reading it. The team fingerprinted error messages of passport chips from different countries. The resulting lookup table allows an attacker to determine where a chip is from. In 2010 Tom Chothia and Vitaliy Smirnov documented an attack that allows an individual passport to be traced, by sending specific BAC authentication requests.
• Basic Access Control
  Basic Access Control
  Basic Access Control is a mechanism specified to ensure only authorized parties can wirelessly read personal information from passports with an RFID chip. It uses data such as the passport number, date of birth and expiration date to negotiate a session key. This key can then be used to encrypt...
  
   (BAC). In 2005 Marc Witteman showed that the document numbers of Dutch passports were predictable, allowing an attacker to guess / crack the key required for reading the chip. In 2006 Adam Laurie wrote software that tries all known passport keys within a given range, thus implementing one of Witteman's attacks. Using online flight booking sites, flight coupons and other public information it's possible to significantly reduce the number of possible keys. Laurie demonstrated the attack by reading the passport chip of a Daily Mail's reporter in its envelope without opening it. Note that in some early biometric passports BAC wasn't used at all, allowing attacker to read the chip's content without providing a key.
• Passive Authentication (PA). In 2006 Lukas Grunwald demonstrated that it is trivial to copy passport data from a passport chip into a standard ISO/IEC 14443 smartcard using a standard contactless card interface and a simple file transfer tool. Grunwald used a passport that did not use Active Authentication (anti-cloning) and did not change the data held on the copied chip to keep its cryptographic signature valid. In 2008 Jeroen van Beek demonstrated that not all passport inspection systems check the cryptographic signature of a passport chips. For his demonstration Van Beek altered chip information and signed it using his own document signing key of a non-existing country. This can only be detected by checking the country signing keys that are used to sign the document signing keys. To check country signing keys the ICAO PKD can be used. Only 5 out of 60+ countries are using this central database. Van Beek did not update the original passport chip: instead an ePassport emulator was used. Also in 2008, The Hacker's Choice
  The Hacker's Choice
  The Hacker's Choice, also known as THC, is a non-commercialgroup of international security researchers andhackers.- About :THC was founded in 1995 in Germany and has published over 70 software...
  
   implemented all attacks and published code to verify the results. The release included a video clip that demonstrated problems using a forged Elvis Presley passport that is recognized as a valid US passport.
• Active Authentication (AA). In 2005 Marc Witteman showed that the secret Active Authentication key can be retrieved using power analysis. This may allow an attacker to clone passport chips that use the optional Active Authentication anti-cloning mechanism on chips - if the chip design is susceptible to this attack. In 2008 Jeroen van Beek demonstrated that optional security mechanisms can be disabled by removing their presence from the passport index file. This allows an attacker to remove - amongst others - anti-cloning mechanisms (Active Authentication). The attack is documented in supplement 7 of Doc 9303 (R1-p1_v2_sIV_0006) and can be solved by patching inspection system software. Note that supplement 7 features vulnerable examples in the same document that - when implemented - result in a vulnerable inspection process.
• Extended Access Control
  Extended access control
  Extended Access Control is a mechanism specified to allow only authorized Inspection system to read sensitive biometric data such as fingerprints from ePassports...
  
   (EAC). In 2007 Luks Grunwald presented an attack that can make EAC-enabled passport chips unusable. Grunwald states that if an EAC-key - required for reading fingerprints and updating certificates - is stolen or compromised, an attacker can upload a false certificate with an issue date far in the future. The affected chips block read access until the future date is reached.

Opposition

Privacy

Privacy

Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves and thereby reveal themselves selectively...

 activists in many countries question and protest the lack of information about exactly what the passports' chip will contain, and whether they impact civil liberties

Civil liberties

Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...

. The main problem they point out is that data on the passports can be transferred with wireless RFID technology, which can become a major vulnerability. Although this could allow ID

Identity document

An identity document is any document which may be used to verify aspects of a person's personal identity. If issued in the form of a small, mostly standard-sized card, it is usually called an identity card...

-check computers to obtain a person's information without a physical connection, it may also allow anyone with the necessary equipment to perform the same task. If the personal information and passport numbers on the chip are not encrypted

Encryption

In cryptography, encryption is the process of transforming information using an algorithm to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. The result of the process is encrypted information...

, the information might wind up in the wrong hands.

On 15 December 2006, the BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

 published an article on the British ePassport, citing the above stories and adding that:

"Nearly every country issuing this passport has a few security experts who are yelling at the top of their lungs and trying to shout out: 'This is not secure. This is not a good idea to use this technology'", citing a specialist who states "It is much too complicated. It is in places done the wrong way round - reading data first, parsing data, interpreting data, then verifying whether it is right. There are lots of technical flaws in it and there are things that have just been forgotten, so it is basically not doing what it is supposed to do. It is supposed to get a higher security level. It is not."

and adding that the Future of Identity in the Information Society (FIDIS) network's research team (a body of IT security experts funded by the European Union) has "also come out against the ePassport scheme... [stating that] European governments have forced a document on its citizens that dramatically decreases security and increases the risk of identity theft."

Most security measures are designed against untrusted citizens (the "provers"), but the scientific security community recently also addressed the threats from untrustworthy verifiers, such as corrupt governmental organizations, or nations using poorly implemented, unsecure electronic systems.
New cryptographic solutions such as private biometrics

Private biometrics

A form of biometrics, also called Biometric Encryption or BioCryptics, in which the prover is protected against the misuse of template data by a dishonest verifier....

 are being proposed to mitigate threats of mass theft of identity. These are under scientific study, but not yet implemented in biometric passports.

European Union

European passport

European passport

The European Union itself does not issue passports, but the passports issued by its 27 member states share certain design features. These include the burgundy coloured cover, the use of the words "European Union" in the country's official language on the cover, as well as common security features...

s planned to have digital imaging and fingerprint

Fingerprint

A fingerprint in its narrow sense is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. In a wider use of the term, fingerprints are the traces of an impression from the friction ridges of any part of a human hand. A print from the foot can also leave an impression of friction ridges...

 scan biometrics placed on the RFID chip. This combination of the biometrics

Biometrics

Biometrics As Jain & Ross point out, "the term biometric authentication is perhaps more appropriate than biometrics since the latter has been historically used in the field of statistics to refer to the analysis of biological data [36]" . consists of methods...

 aims to create an unrivaled level of security and protection against fraudulent identification papers. Technical specifications for the new passports has been established by the European Commission. The specifications are binding for the Schengen agreement

Schengen Agreement

The Schengen Agreement is a treaty signed on 14 June 1985 near the town of Schengen in Luxembourg, between five of the ten member states of the European Economic Community. It was supplemented by the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement 5 years later...

 parties, i.e. the EU countries, except Ireland and UK, and three of the four European Free Trade Association

European Free Trade Association

The European Free Trade Association or EFTA is a free trade organisation between four European countries that operates parallel to, and is linked to, the European Union . EFTA was established on 3 May 1960 as a trade bloc-alternative for European states who were either unable to, or chose not to,...

 countries - Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. These countries are obliged to implement machine readable facial images in the passports by 28 August 2006, and fingerprints by 29 June 2009. The European Data Protection Supervisor

European Data Protection Supervisor

The European Data Protection Supervisor is an independent supervisory authority whose primary objective is to ensure that European institutions and bodies respect the right to privacy and data protection when they process personal data and develop new policies.Peter Hustinx and Giovanni Buttarelli...

 has stated that the current legal framework fails to "address all the possible and relevant issues triggered by the inherent imperfections of biometric systems". Currently, the British biometric passport only uses a digital image and not fingerprinting, however this is being considered by the Identity and Passport Service

Identity and Passport Service

The Identity & Passport Service is an executive agency of the Home Office in the United Kingdom and became operational on 1 April 2006, succeeding the UK Passport Agency, after the passing of the Identity Cards Act 2006...

. The German passports printed after 1 November 2007 contain two fingerprints, one from each hand, in addition to a digital photograph. The Romanian passports will also contain two fingerprints, one from each hand. The Netherlands also takes fingerprints and is the only EU member that decided to store these fingerprints centrally. According to EU requirements, only nations that are signatories to the Schengen Acquis

Schengen Agreement

The Schengen Agreement is a treaty signed on 14 June 1985 near the town of Schengen in Luxembourg, between five of the ten member states of the European Economic Community. It was supplemented by the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement 5 years later...

 are required to add fingerprint biometrics. In these EU nations, the price of the passport

Passport

A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....

 will be:

• Austria
  Austrian passport
  Austrian passports are issued to citizens of Austria to facilitate international travel.-Physical Appearance:]]Austrian passports are burgundy in colour like other European passports and with the Austrian Coat of arms emblazoned in the centre of the front cover...
  
   (available since 16 June 2006) An adult passport costs €69.90, while a chip-free child's version costs €26. As of March 2009 all newly issued passports contain fingerprints.
• Belgium
  Belgian passport
  Belgian passports are issued to citizens of Belgium to facilitate international travel. The Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs is responsible for issuing and renewing Belgian passports.-Types of Passports:...
  
   (introduced in October 2004): €71 or €41 for children + local taxes. Passports are valid for 5 years.
• Bulgaria
  Bulgarian passport
  The Bulgarian passport is an international travel document issued to nationals of Bulgaria, and may also serve as proof of Bulgarian citizenship...
  
   (introduced in July 2009; available since 29 March 2010): 40 BGN (€20) for adults. Passports are valid for 5 years.
• Czech Republic
  Czech passport
  The Czech passport is issued to Czech citizens at any age, and is the primary document of international travel issued by the Czech Republic. The passport, along with the national identity card allows for free rights of movement and residence in any of the states of the European Union and European...
  
   (available since 1 September 2006): 600 CZK for adults (valid 10 years), 100 CZK for children (valid 5 years). Passports contain fingerprints.
• Cyprus (available since 13 December 2010) : €70, valid for 10 years
• Denmark
  Danish passport
  Danish passports are issued to citizens of the Kingdom of Denmark to facilitate international travel. Different versions exist for nationals of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands although all citizens have the same nationality.-Physical appearance:...
  
   (available since 1 August 2006): DKK 600 for adults (valid for 10 years), 115 DKK for children (valid for 5 years) and 350 DKK for over 65 (valid for 10 years).
• Estonia
  Estonian passport
  An Estonian Passport is an identity document as well as a travel document of an Estonian citizen issued by the Citizenship and Migration Board of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Estonia and by Estonian foreign representations abroad.-Physical Appearance:...
  
   (available since 22 May 2007): EEK 450 (€28.76) (valid for 5 years). As of 29 June 2009, all newly issued passports contain fingerprints.
• Finland
  Finnish passport
  Finnish passports are issued to nationals of Finland for the purpose of international travel. Aside from serving as proof of Finnish nationality, they facilitate the process of securing assistance from Finnish consular officials abroad or other EU-members in case a Finnish consular is absent, if...
  
   (available since 21 August 2006) €53 (valid for max. 5 years). As of 29 June 2009, all newly issued passports contain fingerprints.
• France
  French passport
  French passports are issued to French citizens for the purpose of international travel. Besides serving as indication of French citizenship , they facilitate the process of securing assistance from French consular officials...
  
   (available since April 2006): €86 or €89 (depending whether applicant provides photographs), valid for 10 years. As of 16 June 2009, all newly issued passports contain fingerprints.
• Germany
  German passport
  German passports are issued to nationals of Germany for the purpose of international travel. A German passport is, besides the German ID card, the only other officially recognized document that German authorities will routinely accept as proof of identity from German citizens...
  
   (available since November 2005): ≤23 year old applicants (valid for 6 years) €37.50, >24 years (valid 10 years) €59 Passports issued from 1 November 2007 on include fingerprints.
• Greece
  Greek passport
  Greek passports are issued exclusively to Greek citizens for the purpose of international travel. Greek citizens can use their ID card instead for travel within the European Union and a number of other European countries. Biometric passports have been issued since 26 August 2006, with old-style...
  
   (available since 26 August 2006) €84.40 (valid for 5 years). Since June 2009, passports contain fingerprints.
• Hungary
  Hungarian passport
  Hungarian passports are issued to Hungarian citizens for international travel by The Central Data Processing, Registration and Election Office of the Hungarian Ministry of the Interior.-Types:...
  
   (available since 29 August 2006): 6000 HUF (€24), valid for 5 years, 10000 HUF (€40) valid for 10 years. As of 29 June 2009, all newly issued passports contain fingerprints.
• Ireland
  Irish passport
  Irish passports are issued by the Consular and Passport Division of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin, Ireland.-Physical appearance:...
  
   (available since 16 October 2006): €80, valid for 10 years. Free for people over 65. (Not Signatory to Schengen Acquis, no obligation to fingerprint biometrics)
• Italy
  Italian passport
  Italian passports are issued to Italian citizens to travel outside of Italy. For travelling within the European Union, Italian citizens can use their ID card. Biometric passports have been available since October 26, 2006. They are valid for a period of 10 years and they cost €42.50...
  
   (available since 26 October 2006): €42.50, valid for 10 years, plus tax stamps of €40.29 per year (first is mandatory; an unexpired tax stamp is only required when travelling outside the European Union). As of January 2010 newly issued passports contain fingerprints.
• Latvia
  Latvian passport
  Latvian passports are issued to citizens of Latvia for identity and international travel purposes. Receiving a valid passport is mandatory from the age of 15, but passports can be requested for younger children if needed for travel purposes...
  
   (available since 20 November 2007): An adult passport costs Ls
  Latvian lats
  The lats is the currency of Latvia. It is abbreviated as Ls. The lats is sub-divided into 100 santīmi ....
  
  5 (€6.99 [prior to 12, July 2011]), valid for 5 years.
• Lithuania
  Lithuanian passport
  A Lithuanian passport is an official document, issued to Lithuanian citizens to identify themselves or to facilitate travel outside of Lithuania...
  
   (available since 28 August 2006): LTL 100 (€29). For children up to 16 years old, valid max 5 years. For persons over 16 years old, valid for 10 years.
• Luxembourg
  Luxembourg passport
  Luxembourgian passports are issued to nationals of Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for the purpose of international travel.Besides serving as indication and proof of Luxembourgish citizenship, they facilitate the process of securing assistance from Luxembourg embassies abroad or other EU-members in case...
  
   (available since 28 August 2006): €30. Valid for 5 years. As of 29 June 2009, all newly issued passports contain fingerprints.
• Malta
  Maltese passport
  The Maltese passport is a European Union passport that is issued to citizens of the Maltese Islands for travel outside the European Union and European Economic Area.-External links:* * from www.passportland.com* from www.passportland.com...
  
   (available since 8 October 2008): €70 for persons over 16 years old, valid for 10 years, €35 for children between 10–16 years (valid for 5 years) and €14 for children under 10 years (valid for 2 years).
• Netherlands
  Dutch passport
  A Dutch passport is issued to citizens of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for the purpose of international travel. As the Netherlands only distinguish one category of citizen , for all countries in the Kingdom, passports are the same for all four countries...
  
   (available since 28 August 2006): Approximately €11 on top of regular passport (€38.33) cost €49.33. Passports issued from 21 September 2009 include fingerprints. Dutch identity card
  Dutch identity card
  The Dutch identity card is an official non-compulsory identity document issued to Dutch nationals in the European part of the Netherlands and certain diplomatic missions...
  
  s are lookalike versions of the holder's page of the passport and contain the same biometric information.
• Poland
  Polish passport
  Visa requirements for Polish citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Poland.-Europe: Freedom of movement Other European Countries:-Africa:-Americas:-Asia:...
  
   (available since 28 August 2006): 140 PLN (€35) for adults, 70PLN for students, valid 10 years. Passports issued from 29 June 2009 include fingerprints of both index fingers.
• Portugal
  Portuguese passport
  Portuguese passports are issued to citizens of Portugal for the purpose of international travel. However the bilhete de identidade can serve as a travel document within the countries of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Croatia, Macedonia and Switzerland.-Electronic passport:As...
  
   (available since 31 July 2006 - special passport; 28 August 2006 - ordinary passport): €60 for adults (€50 for those who are over 65 years old), valid for 5 years. €40 for children under 12, valid for 2 years. All passports have 32 pages.
• Romania
  Romanian passport
  The Romanian Passport gives its bearer the right to exit and enter the country through any of the border passing points, opened to the international traveler traffic. Outside Romania, the passport gives the bearer the right to assistance and protection provided by the diplomatic missions and...
  
   (available since 31 December 2008): 276 RON (€65), valid for 5 years for those over the age of 6, and for 3 years for those under 6. As of 19 Jan 2010, new passport includes both facial images and fingerprints.
• Slovakia (available since 15 January 2008) An adult passport(>13years costs 33.19€ valid for 10 years, while a chip-free child's(5–13 years) version costs 13.27€ valid for 5 years and for children under 5 years 8.29€, but valid only for 2 years.
• Slovenia
  Slovenian passport
  Slovenian passports are issued to citizens of Slovenia to facilitate international travel. For traveling inside the European Union, Slovenian citizens can use their ID card. The Slovenian ID card is also valid for travel to Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro....
  
   (available since 28 August 2006): €36 for adults, valid for 10 years. €31 for children from 3 to 18 years of age, valid for 5 years. €28 for children up to 3 years of age, valid for 3 years. All passports have 32 pages, a 48-page version is available at a €2 surcharge. As of 29 June 2009, all newly issued passports contain fingerprints.
• Spain
  Spanish passport
  ‎Spanish passports are issued to Spanish citizens for the purpose of travel outside Spain. However, for travel solely within the European Economic Area, Switzerland and a number of other European countries, Spanish citizens need only use their Spanish identity card...
  
   (available since 28 August 2006) at a price of €13.45 (price at the 7 November 2010). They include fingerprints of both index fingers as of October 2009. (Aged 30 or less a Spanish passport is valid for 5 years, otherwise they remain valid for 10 years).
• Sweden
  Swedish passport
  Swedish passports are issued to nationals of Sweden for the purpose of international travel. Besides serving as proof of Swedish citizenship, they facilitate the process of securing assistance from Swedish consular officials abroad or other European Union members in case a Swedish consular is...
  
   (available since October 2005): SEK 400 (valid for 5 years). As of 29 June 2009, all newly issued passports contain fingerprints.
• UK
  British passport
  British passports may be issued to people holding any of the various forms of British nationality, and are used as evidence of the bearer's nationality and immigration status within the United Kingdom or the issuing state/territory.-Issuing:...
  
   (introduced March 2006): £77.50 for adults and £49 for children under the age of 16. (Not Signatory to Schengen Acquis, no obligation to fingerprint biometrics.)

Unless otherwise noted, none of the issued biometric passports mentioned above include fingerprints as of 5 May 2010.

Albania

The Albanian biometric passport is available since May 2009, costs 6000 Lekë

Albanian lek

The lek is the official currency of Albania. It is subdivided into 100 qindarka , although qindarka are no longer issued.-Names:...

, (€

Euro

The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

50) and is valid for 10 years. The microchip contains ten fingerprints, the photo and all the data written on the passport.

Armenia

In September 2012 Armenia will introduce two new identity documents to replace ordinary passports of Armenian citizens. One of the documents – ID card with electronic signature, will be used locally within the country, and the biometric passport with an electronic chip to be used for traveling abroad. Electronic chip of biometric passport will contain digital images of fingerprints and photo of passport holder. The passport will be valid for 5 years.

Australia

The Australian biometric passport was introduced in October 2005. The microchip contains the same personal information that is on the color photo page of the ePassport, including a digitized photograph. A standard (35-Visa Pages) adult passport (>18 years) is A$226 valid for 10 years; for children, the fee is A$113 valid for 5 years. A Frequent traveler (67-Visa Pages) adult passport (>18 years) is A$340 valid for 10 years; for children, the fee is A$170 valid for 5 years. Airport security has been upgraded to allow Australian ePassport bearers to clear immigration controls more rapidly, and facial recognition technology has been installed at immigration gates.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Available since 15 October 2009 and costing 40 KM

Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark

The Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark is the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is divided into 100 fenings...

 (€ 20.51). Valid for 5 years. Produced by Bundesdruckerei

Bundesdruckerei

The Bundesdruckerei is a German manufacturer for banknotes and stamps, identity cards, passports and visas, driving licences and vehicle registration certificates....

.
On 1 June 2010 Bosnia and Herzegovina issued its first EAC

Extended access control

Extended Access Control is a mechanism specified to allow only authorized Inspection system to read sensitive biometric data such as fingerprints from ePassports...

 passport.

Brazil

Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

 started issuing ICAO compliant passports in December 2006. However just in December 2010 it began to issue passports with microchips, first in the capital Brasília

Brasília

Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...

 and Goiás

Goiás

Goiás is a state of Brazil, located in the central part of the country. The name Goiás comes from the name of an indigenous community...

 state. Until the end of January 2011 this last will be issued all over Brazil.

Brunei

The Bruneian biometric passport was introduced on 17 February 2007. It was produced by German printer Giesecke & Devrient

Giesecke & Devrient

Giesecke & Devrient is a German company headquartered in Munich that provides banknote and securities printing, smart cards, and cash handling systems....

 (G&D) following the Visa Waiver Program

Visa Waiver Program

The Visa Waiver Program is a program of the United States Government which allows citizens of specific countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without having to obtain a visa. The program applies to the 50 U.S. states as well as the U.S...

's requirements. The Bruneian ePassport has the same functions as the other biometric passports.

Canada

Before the end of 2012 all new Canadian passports will be issued as ePassports. These passports will incorporate biometrics using an embedded electronic chip which will hold information identical to that visible on page 2 of the passport as well as information found in the machine-readable zone. The chip will also hold a country-specific signature that can be used to prove that the passport was issued by the Government of Canada. All of the information stored on the chip is secured by being "electronically locked" so that any attempt to tamper the data on the chip would require breaking the lock thereby permitting detection of the activity.

In an attempt to further ensure that the information is safe, the design uses a "proximity contactless chip" that can only be read if held within 10 centimetres of the reader unit. In addition, the chip data can only be accessed after the machine-readable zone on page 2 of the passport has been read. As Passport Canada indicates "it is therefore extremely unlikely that the data stored on the chip could be read without the knowledge of the passport holder."

This technology is being used at border crossings that have electronic readers that are able to read the chip in the cards and verify the information present in the card and on the passport.
In addition, the possibility exists to use facial recognition technology to further authenticate the bearer's identity.

This method aims at increasing efficiency and accuracy of identifying people at the border crossing.

China

On January 30, 2011, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China is an executive agency responsible for foreign relations between the People's Republic of China and other countries in the world. The agency is led by the Foreign Minister. The current minister is Yang Jiechi...

 launched a trial issuance of e-passports for public affairs. The face, fingerprint and other biometric features of the passport holder will be digitalized and stored in pre-installed contactless smart chip in the passport. On July 1, 2011, the Ministry began issuing biometric passports to all individuals conducting public affairs work overseas on behalf of the Chinese government.

Ordinary biometric passports will be introduced by the Ministry of Public Security

Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China

The Ministry of Public Security , is the principal police and security authority of the mainland of the People's Republic of China and the government agency that exercises oversight over and is ultimately responsible for day-to-day law enforcement...

 in the future.

Croatia

Available since 1 July 2009 and costing 390 HRK (€53). The chip contains two fingerprints and a digital photo of the holder. Since 18 January 2010 only biometric passports can be obtained at issuing offices inside Croatia. Diplomatic missions and consular offices must implement new issuing system until 28 June 2010.

Dominican Republic

In the Dominican Republic, biometric passports began to be issued in May 2004.

The Dominican Republic is the only country whose passport does not have the biometric symbol on its cover.

In Jan 2010, the cost of the passport was 1,250 DOP, about 35-40 USD at that date.

Egypt

The Egyptian Gouverment has, from 5 February 2007, introduced the electronic Passport (e-Passport) and electronic Document of Identity for Visa Purposes (e-Doc/I) which are compliant with the standard of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Digital data including holder's personal data and facial image will be contained in the contactless chip embedded in the back cover of e-Passport and e-Doc/I.

Iceland

Available since 23 May 2006 and costing ISK 5100 (ISK 1900 for under 18 and over 67).

India

India has recently initiated first phase deployment of Biometric e-Passport for Diplomatic Passport holders in India and abroad. The new passports have been designed indigenously by the Central Passport Organization, the India Security Press, Nashik and IIT Kanpur. The passport contains a security chip with personal data and digital images. Initially, the new passports will have a 64KB chip with a photograph of passport holder and subsequently include the holder's fingerprint(s). The biometric passport has been tested with passport readers abroad and is noted to have a 4 second response time – less than that of a US Passport (10 seconds). The passport need not be carried in a metal jacket for security reasons as it first needs to be passed through a reader, after which generates access keys to unlock the chip data for reader access.

India has also given out a contract to TCS for issuing e-passports through passport seva kendra. India plans to open 77 such centers across the country to issue these passports.

On 25 June 2008 Indian Passport Authority issued first e-passport to the President of India

President of India

The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...

, Pratibha Patil

Pratibha Patil

Pratibha Devisingh Patil is the 12th President of the Republic of India and first woman to hold the office. She was sworn in as President of India on 25 July 2007, succeeding Dr. A.P.J...

. The e-passport is under the first phase of deployment and will be initially restricted to diplomatic passport holders. It is expected to be made available to ordinary citizens from September 2010 onwards.

Indonesia

Indonesia starts using e-Passport at January 26, 2011. Though the e-passport is not a mandatory until 2015. The passport cost Rp655,000(US$77) for the 48-page valid for 5 years, and Rp405,000 (US$48) for the 24-page passport valid for 5 years.

Iran

Iran started issuing diplomatic and service biometric passports in July, 2007. Ordinary biometric passports began to be issued on February 20, 2011. The cost of a new passport is 600,000IRR ($60 USD) for adults and 300,000IRR ($30 USD) for minors.

Iraq

In April 2009, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior - the general passports directorate revealed new electronic system to issue the new A-series passports in contract with the German SAFE ID Solutions, the new series is a biometric passport available to the public which would cost 25,000 Iraqi dinars or about $20 USD.

Japan

The Japanese government started issuing biometric passports in March 2006.

Kosovo

In May 2011, the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Kosovo announced that biometric passports will be issued in the summer of 2011 after the winning firm is chosen and awarded the production of the passports.

Macao SAR

Applications for electronic passports and electronic travel permits have been started and processed since 1 September 2009.

Macedonia

Available since 2 April 2007 and costing 1500 MKD or c. €22.

Malaysia

Malaysia was the first country in the world to issue biometric passports in 1998, after a local company, IRIS Corporation, developed the technology. Malaysia is however not a member of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and its biometric passport does not conform to the same standards as the VWP biometric document because the Malaysian biometric passport was issued ahead of the VWP requirement. The difference lies in the storage of fingerprint template instead of fingerprint image in the chip, the rest of the technologies are the same. Also the biometric passport was designed to be read only if the receiving country has the authorization from the Malaysian Immigration Department.
Malaysia started issuing ICAO compliant passports from February 2010.

Sovereign Military Order of Malta

Since 2005 the SMOM diplomatic and service passports include biometric features and are compliant with ICAO standards.

Moldova

The Moldovan biometric passport is available from 1 January 2008. The new Moldovan biometric passport costs approximately 760 MDL

Moldovan leu

The leu is the currency of Moldova. Like the Romanian leu, the Moldovan leu is subdivided into 100 bani . The name of the currency originates in Romania and means "lion".-History:...

 (€45) and is obligatory from 1 January 2011. The passport of the Republic of Moldova with biometric data contains a chip which holds digital information, including the holder's signature, as well as the traditional information. It is valid for 7 years (for persons over 7) and 4 years (for persons less than 7) respectively.
It was introduced as a request of European Union to safe the borders between the E.U. and R. of Moldova.

Montenegro

The Montenegrin biometric passport was introduced in 2008. It costs approximately €40.

Morocco

The Moroccan biometric passport was introduced in 2008. In December 2009, early limited trials have been extended, and the biometric passport is available from 25 September 2009 to all Moroccan citizens holders of an electronic identity card. It costs 300DH (approximately €27).

New Zealand

Introduced in November 2005, like Australia and the USA, New Zealand is using the facial biometric identifier. There are two identifying factors - the small symbol on the front cover indicating that an electronic chip has been embedded in the passport, and the polycarbonate leaf in the front (version 2009) of the book inside which the chip is located.

Nigeria

Nigeria is currently one of the few nations in Africa that issues biometric passports, and has done it since 2007.The harmonized ECOWAS Smart electronic passport issued by the Nigerian Immigrations Service is powered by biometric technology in tandem with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) specifications for international travels.
Travellers' data captured in the biometric passport can be accessed instantly and read by any security agent from any spot of the globe through an integrated network of systems configured and linked to a centrally-coordinated passport data bank managed by the Nigerian Immigrations Service.

Norway

Available since 1 October 2005 and costing NOK

Norwegian krone

The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...

 450 for adults, or c. €50, NOK 270 for children.

Pakistan

In 2004 Pakistan became one of the first countries in the world to issue biometric passports. However, these passports are not compliant to ICAO standards.

Philippines

On August 11, 2009, the first biometric passport was released for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The new e-passport has various security features, including a hidden encoded image; an ultra-thin, holographic laminate; and a tamper-proof electronic microchip costing at around 950 pesos.

Russia

Russian biometric passport was introduced in 2006. As of 2010, it costs 2.500 rubles

Russian ruble

The ruble or rouble is the currency of the Russian Federation and the two partially recognized republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Formerly, the ruble was also the currency of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union prior to their breakups. Belarus and Transnistria also use currencies with...

 (approx. USD 90), use only printed data and photo (i.e. no optional fingerprint etc.), BAC-crypted. Biometric passport issued after 1 March 2010 is valid for 10 years. Russian biometric passports are currently issued only within Russia and in its consulates in Germany and Latvia. Other Russian consulates issue only non-biometric passports, which are valid for 5 years.

Serbia

Available since 7 July 2008, and from 16 December 2010 costs 2.000 RSD or approx. €20.0 (was 2.200 RSD or approx.€23.5) (Aged 3 or less a Serbian passport is valid for 3 years, aged 3 to 14 it is valid for 5 years, otherwise passport remain valid for 10 years.)

Singapore

The Immigation & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) of Singapore introduced the Singapore biometric passport (BioPass) on 15 August 2006. With this, Singapore has met requirements under the US Visa Waiver Program

Visa Waiver Program

The Visa Waiver Program is a program of the United States Government which allows citizens of specific countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without having to obtain a visa. The program applies to the 50 U.S. states as well as the U.S...

 which calls for countries to roll out their biometric passports before 26 October 2006.

Somalia

The new "e-passport" of Somalia

Somalia

Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...

 was introduced and approved by the nation's Transitional Federal Government on 10 October 2006. It costs $100 USD to apply for Somalis living inside of Somalia, and $150 USD for Somalis living abroad. Somalia is now the first country on the African continent to have introduced the "e-passport".

South Korea

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of South Korea started issuing biometric passports to its citizens on August 25, 2008. The cost is fixed to 55,000 Won or 55 US Dollars, and the validity of ordinary passport is 10 years.

Sudan

The Republic of the Sudan started issuing electronic passports to citizens in May 2009. The new electronic passport will be issued in three categories. The citizen's passport (ordinary passport) will be issued to ordinary citizens and will contain 48 pages. Business men/women who need to travel often will have a commercial passport that will contain 64 pages. Smaller passports that contain 32 pages only will be issued to children. The microprocessor chip will contain the holder's information in addition to fingerprints. Cost to obtain a new passport will be SDG 250 aprox. 100$ , 200 for students and 100 for kids. and the validity of the citizen's passport will be 5 years, and 7 years for the commercial passport.

Switzerland

The Swiss biometric passport has been available since 4 September 2006. Since 1 March 2010, all issued passports are biometric, containing a photograph and two fingerprints recorded electronically. The cost is fixed to CHF 140.00 adult CHF 60.00 for children (-18 years old).

Republic of China (Taiwan)

Available since 29 December 2008 and costing NT$1,600.

Tajikistan

Biometric passports will be issued in Tajikistan from 1 February 2010. On 27 August 2009, Tajik Ministry of Foreign Affairs and German Muhlbauer signed a contract on purchase of blank biometric passports and appropriate equipment for Tajikistan.

Thailand

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand introduced the first biometric passport for Diplomats and Government officials on 26 May 2005. From 1 June 2005, a limited quantity of 100 passports a day was issued for Thai citizens, however, on 1 August 2005 a full operational service was installed and Thailand became the first country in Asia to issue an ICAO compliant biometric passport.

Turkey

Turkish passports which are compatible with European Union standards have been available since 1 June 2010. Colours of the new biometric passports have also be changed. Accordingly, regular passports; claret red, special passports; bottle green and diplomatic passports wrap black colours.

Most recently Turkish Minister of the State announced that the government is printing the new passports at government minting office since the private contractor failed to deliver.

The current cost of issuing a 10 year passport in Turkey is 387.80 TL.

Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan became the first country in ex-USSR, in mid-Asia region to issue an ICAO compliant biometric passport. Passport is available since 10 July 2008.

United Arab Emirates

The UAE ministry of interior stated that it will start issuing emirati biometric passports at the end of year 2010.

United States

The U.S. version of the biometric passport (sometimes referred to as an electronic passport) has descriptive data and a digitized passport photo on its contactless chips, and does not have fingerprint information placed onto the contactless chip. However, the chip is large enough (64 kilobytes) for inclusion of biometric identifiers. The U.S. Department of State

United States Department of State

The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...

 now issues biometric passports only. Non-biometric passports are valid until their expiration dates.

Although a system able to perform a facial-recognition match between the bearer and his or her image stored on the contactless chip is desired, it is unclear when such a system will be deployed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at its ports of entry.

A high level of security became a priority for the United States after the attacks of September 11, 2001. High security required cracking down on counterfeit passports. In October 2004, the production stages of this high-tech passport commenced as the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) issued awards to the top bidders of the program. The awards totaled to roughly $1,000,000 for startup, development, and testing. The driving force of the initiative is the U.S. Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 (also known as the "Border Security Act"), which states that such smartcard Identity cards will be able to replace visa

Visa (document)

A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...

s. As for foreigners traveling to the U.S., if they wish to enter U.S. visa-free under the Visa Waiver Program

Visa Waiver Program

The Visa Waiver Program is a program of the United States Government which allows citizens of specific countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without having to obtain a visa. The program applies to the 50 U.S. states as well as the U.S...

 (VWP), they are now required to possess machine-readable passport

Passport

A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....

s that comply with international standards. Additionally, for travelers holding a valid passport issued on or after October 26, 2006, such a passport must be a biometric passport if used to enter the U.S. visa-free under the VWP.

Uzbekistan

In Uzbekistan, 23 June 2009 Islam Karimov issued a Presidential Decree "On measures to further improve the passport system in the Republic of Uzbekistan." On December 29, 2009 the President of Uzbekistan signed a decree to change the dates for a phased exchange of populations existing passport to the biometric passport. In accordance with this decree, biometric passports will be phased in, beginning with January 1, 2011. In the first phase, the biometric passport will be issued to employees of ministries, departments and agencies of the republic, individuals who travel abroad or outside the country, as well as citizens who receive a passport in connection with the achievement of a certain age or for other grounds provided by law. The second phase will be for the rest of the population who will be to able get new passports for the period from 2012 to 2015.

Venezuela

Issued after July 2007, Venezuela was the first Latin American country issuing passports including RFID chips along other major security improvements. The chip has photo and fingerprints data.

Further reading

• Ulrich Hottelet: Hidden champion - Biometrics between boom and big brother, German Times, January 2007

External links

ICAO related information:

• International Civil Aviation Organization
• Public Key Directory

• ICAO passport standards:
• ICAO Document 9303, Part 1, Volume 1
• ICAO Document 9303, Part 1, Volume 2
• ICAO Document 9303, Part 2
• ICAO Document 9303, Part 3, Volume 1

Free / open source utilities to read and copy passport chips:

• RFDUMP.org GPL tool for RFID ISO-Readers
• RFIDIOt.org - Open Source RFID python library with e-passport test tools
• JMRTD.org - Open Source Java Card implementation of the e-passport and Java API
• ePassport emulator - free software for cloning / making your own ePassport chip using JCOP v4.1 smartcards
• eCL0WN - free software for reading and cloning ePassport chip content using a Nokia NFC-enabled cell phone
• wzPASS - Open Source e-Passport reader software and wzMRTD—Open Source library for accessing e-Passports
• OpenSCDP.org - Open Source EAC-PKI for development and testing
• EJBCA.org - Complete Open Source X.509 and EAC PKI. Includes separate java development library for EAC certificates.