The upcoming biometric Turkish passports are expected to be released on June 1, and all old-style passports will expire by 2014, the Foreign Ministry announced on Monday.
Biometric passports, also known as e-passports, were to have been introduced by member countries of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), including Turkey, by April 1, with new e-passports replacing all older-style passports by 2014. All European Union countries, the US, Russia and several other countries currently use biometric passports.
The new e-passports will be delivered starting from June 1 to all police departments in Turkey and to Turkish consulates abroad. The Interior Ministry also launched a website to inform citizens about the new passports on Monday, at www.epasaport.gov.tr.
The new biometric passports have a small chip that contains fingerprint scans, a digital image and signature, the passport number, name, surname, nationality and birth date. With the new passports, immigration processing will become much easier and faster. The new passports are expected to help prevent fraud and fake identification documents. The e-passports are also a requirement for the European Union.
Turkish citizens will need to apply for biometric passports soon because the current passport will be no longer valid as of Nov. 24, 2014.
Biometric passports, also known as e-passports, were to have been introduced by member countries of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), including Turkey, by April 1, with new e-passports replacing all older-style passports by 2014. All European Union countries, the US, Russia and several other countries currently use biometric passports.
The new e-passports will be delivered starting from June 1 to all police departments in Turkey and to Turkish consulates abroad. The Interior Ministry also launched a website to inform citizens about the new passports on Monday, at www.epasaport.gov.tr.
The new biometric passports have a small chip that contains fingerprint scans, a digital image and signature, the passport number, name, surname, nationality and birth date. With the new passports, immigration processing will become much easier and faster. The new passports are expected to help prevent fraud and fake identification documents. The e-passports are also a requirement for the European Union.
Turkish citizens will need to apply for biometric passports soon because the current passport will be no longer valid as of Nov. 24, 2014.
