Personal Identification

The security standards for international identification documents are becoming ever more stringent. Against this background, around 40 countries - in which a total of over 300 million passports are in circulation - are currently working towards implementing ePassports based on RFID technology.

The ePassport not only saves authorities and the traveling public time, it also provides security and protection against forgery and counterfeiting. Human error can also be avoided during registration and control checks, because the data in ePassports, contactless passports and drivers' licenses is captured using readers rather than being entered manually. The USA and several European Union member states began implementing the technology in 2005.

The strict requirements in respect of security and data protection mean that standards are especially high in the manufacture of ePassports. In addition to personal data, electronic passports can hold digitized photographs, iris scans and fingerprints. We have already supplied eight countries, including the USA, Russia and Sweden, with at least an initial shipment of inlays that have been used in issued ePassports. Moreover, our inlays are currently being tested for use in the ePassports of more than 15 other countries.