Canada To Issue Electronic Passports In 2012

(AHN)

Ottawa will issue electronic passports to Canadian citizens starting in 2012. To begin the process, Public Works and Government Services Canada sought potential suppliers to submit letters of interest this summer.

The ePassport will have a proximity contactless chip which could only be read within 10 centimeters (3.93 inches) of a reader. But the machine-readable zone on page 2 of the passport must be scanned first. Among the data on the chip are the holder’s name, gender, date and place of birth and a digital photo of the citizen’s face.

Customs officials will compare the information on the chip with the printed information and photo in the passport. Read more here.