Tajikistan prepares to introduce biometric passports

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DUSHANBE — Tajikistan will introduce biometric passports in 2010. Tajik Foreign Ministry Director of Information Davlat Nazriyev said German company Muhlbauer won a tender to supply new passport books, install necessary equipment, create turnkey centres for personalisation and train centre employees.

“Funds were allocated from the national budget to buy blank passports and the necessary equipment. At least 100,000 books will be purchased initially,” Nazriyev said. One centre for personalising the passports will be set up later and five centres will collect biometric information in the regions.

The passports must meet the minimum requirements of the ICAO, namely they must have a readable microchip up to 64 kb, a wireless antenna, and the cover must have a polycarbonate coating.

Under a 2004 resolution by the Montreal Assembly of the ICAO, member countries, including Tajikistan, have until next year to introduce passports with a high level of protection and biometric information required to ensure the security of international air travel, protect documents from falsification and provide rapid, verifiable and accurate identification about persons crossing borders. ICAO-compliant passports have already been introduced in more than 100 countries.