Biometric passports take off

More that 2.5 million ePassports have been issued since the new biometric documents went into production in March.

The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) has now switched all its production over to the new style of passport, a process which began earlier this year.

IPS executive director for service delivery Bernard Herdan said the design is the "most secure passport ever issued by the UK".

He said the changeover to ePassports had taken place over a number of months, while the agency also dealt with record levels of demand for passports.

He said: "In combination with enhanced background checks and plans to interview first-time passport applicants from next spring, this new more secure passport will deliver a step-change in our ability to combat passport fraud and forgery."

silicon.com Public Sector

Get the latest public sector news straight to your inbox. Sign up for the PS newsletter today!

The agency also pointed out that the switchover to biometric passports means the UK has beaten the US Visa Waiver deadline, so UK travellers can still travel visa-free to the US.

The new passports include a chip with the holder's facial biometric, with facial recognition software used to check passport applications against a list of known passport fraudsters. But the additional security comes at a cost - passport prices have increased to £66, up from £42 last year.

Immigration controls have also been tightened - immigration officers can carry out 'biometric checks' on any passenger who holds a biometric travel document to confirm that they are the rightful owner.