After Hours

Photos: The new face of e-passports

By // July 18, 2006, 8:43 AM PST // billdetwiler

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  • 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.

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

    U.K. Home Office

  • ,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.

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

    U.K. Home Office

  • 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.

    U.S. Department of State

  • 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.

    U.S. Department of State

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

    U.S. Department of State

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

    U.S. Department of State

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

    U.S. Department of State

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.

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

U.K. Home Office

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About Bill Detwiler

Bill Detwiler is Managing Editor of TechRepublic and Tech Pro Research and the host of Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. Prior to joining TechRepublic in 2000, Bill was an IT manager, database administrator, and desktop supp...