Photos: The new face of e-passports

The first e-passports for the U.K. are now being issued by the Foreign Office in Washington, D.C. The price of a U.K. passport is 51 pounds, reflecting a 9-pound fee increase to cover the cost of implementing anti-fraud measures.\r\n\r\n

The cover of the U.K. e-passport looks only slightly different from its predecessor.

,E-passports feature a chip embedded on the back of the personal information page. It will digitally store a scan of the holder’s facial features.\r\n

\r\nOther security features include enhanced background checks on applicants and, beginning in 2007, face-to-face interviews for first-time adult applicants.

The proposed e-passport for use by United States citizens will include a small, contactless chip embedded in the back cover. The chip will store a visual display of the photo page and include a digital photo for use in face-recognition comparisons.

The U.S. e-passport will also have a new look and incorporate additional anti-fraud and security features. Each page will include patriotic quotes and designs that are difficult to reproduce.

The information from this page will be stored in a chip embedded in the back cover of the e-passport.

Visa stamps will be issued over a photo of Mount Rushmore.

Here’s the proposed design for the U.S. passport’s inside back cover, which will include an embedded security chip.