Posts Tagged ‘biometric passport’
Thursday, January 10th, 2013
Passports from all over the world differ from country to country. However, there are some elements that all passports share in common. To put it simply all passports contain data specific to the passport holder as well as passport photos. E-passports, also known as electronic passports or biometric passports store this data electronically inside of a passport chip.
While some countries have passports that last longer than others, all passports have an expiration date. The term that a passport is good for generally differs for adult passports and child passports. US adult passports are valid for a period of ten years, while child passports are valid for five years.
Did you know that starting in 2009, all newly issued Austrian passports contain fingerprints? Findland, France, Germany, Greece and Hungary also issue passports with fingerprints. Poland passports include fingerprints of both index fingers and All Belgian passports are valid for 5 years. The same goes for Bulgarian passports, they are valid for 5 years as well. In Cyprus passports are valid for ten years. The Czech Republic follows that same time frame as the United States; adult passports are valid for ten years and child passports are valid for 5 years. In Malta, if you are a child under 10 years old your passport is only valid for 2 years.
Did you know that the Portugal passport has 32 pages? In Slovakia, all passports also have 32 pages, but a 48 page version is also available at a surcharge.
Do you know how many pages the US passport has? If you don’t know, just check out your passport. If you don’t have a passport, maybe you should contact Rush Passport™.
If you are interested in getting a passport or visa, give us a call at (212) 643-9305. Rush Passport™ Official US Passport Expeditors, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
Tags: austria passport, biometric passport, bulgaria passport, e-passport, electronic passport, epassport, finland passport, france passport, germany passport, greece passport, hungary passport, NYC Passport, passport, passport ny, passports, Portugal passport, rush passport, Rush Passport ny, slovakia passport, US passport
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Wednesday, November 14th, 2012
Do you know what an “e-passport” is? The term “e-passport” or “electronic passport” refers to the traditional passport book. Currently the US passports are considered e-passports because they contain small integrated chips embedded within the back cover of the passport booklet.
The e-passport chip stores the identical data that is displayed on the data page of the US passport. In addition to the data that appears within the passport, the chip stores a digital image of the passport photograph. This feature allows for the use of face recognition technology at ports-of-entry where the passport is presented. The e-passport chip also contains a unique chip identification number. Lastly, the e-passport chip also contains a digital signature. The purpose of the digital signature is to protect the stored data from being altered.
Many countries use e-passports now. These e-passports are sometimes known as biometric passports as well. As for 2013, Nearly 100 countries have biometric passports. Among the countries that have biometric passports are Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, UK, and the United States. Over the next few years, many more countries will be sure to feature biometric passports as well.
If you are interested in getting a passport or visa, give us a call at (212) 643-9305. Rush Passport™ Official US Passport Expeditors, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
Tags: Australia, Belgium, biometric data, biometric passport, Denmark, e-passport, e-passports, electronic passport, England, epassport, ePassports, Finland, France, Germany, greece, hungary, ireland, Italy, netherlands, passport, passport booklet, passports, poland, portugal, romania, rush passport, Sweden, UK, United Kingdom, United States, US passport, usa passport
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Monday, July 9th, 2012
Some people are photogenic and others look better in person. However, most people are self-conscious about the way they appear in photographs. Passport photos are no exception. Many people don’t like the way they look in their passports – with good reason. The problem with passport photos is that they require a neutral expression. For some people it is hard not to smile in a photograph. For others, a neutral expression is simpler to achieve.
According to a study at Glasgow University, when a person tries to give a neutral expression for a passport photo, it actually makes them less recognizable and can even distort their facial features.
Biometric passports contain data including facial information. There are certain measurements that are used in passports to identify the person in the photo. For example, passport photos contain biometric data that measures the distance between the eyes and nose. There are other measurements that are contained in the passport photo data to help identify the passport holder.
The purpose of the biometric data is to assist border patrol in recognizing the passport holder, but the Glasgow University study hints that the passport technology can use an upgrade. Biometric passport data will surely improve over the next few years and the improvements will be seen in the latest US passports that are issued.
If you are interested in getting a passport or visa, give us a call at (212) 643-9305. Rush Passport™ Official US Passport Expeditors, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
Tags: biometric passport, expedited passport, passport, passport agency nyc, passport bronx, passport brooklyn, passport connecticut, passport manhattan, passport nyc, passport office midtown manhattan, passport photo, passport queens, Passport Service, passport staten island, passports, rush passport, US passport
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Friday, June 22nd, 2012
The passport industry has been increasing its use of technology and all indications are that passports will include greater levels of technology as we venture into the future. The future of passports centers around governments all over the world collecting biometric data.
While the collection of biometric data for passports raises significant civil liberties and privacy concerns, it doesn’t look like the partnership between state of the art technology and passport security is going to slow down.
Opposition to biometric passports includes the argument that unreliable biometric technologies can misidentify passport holders. While some think passport security and the use of face, fingerprint, and iris recognition is really cool, others are more concerned with falsified biometric identification and passport fraud.
Since 2007, various European passport border checks utilize facial recognition in which Automatic Face Recognition in Border Control travelers’ faces are scanned and compared to measurements of their facial features stored on a chip in their biometric passports.
The United States requires visitors to submit biometrics in the form of a digital fingerprint when applying for a visa or when entering the country. In the UK, the government abandoned the fingerprint initiative.
Another passport security measure that is in the works is iris scan recognition. While it may seem cutting edge, there are concerns over hard contact lenses, watery eyes and long eyelashes that could possibly interfere with the scanning process.
It looks like we just have to wait and see which new passport initiatives are added to the US passport.
If you are interested in getting a passport or visa, give us a call at (212) 643-9305. Rush Passport™ Official US Passport Expeditors, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
Tags: automatic face recognition, biometric passport, border control, face recognition, fingerprint, iris recognition, passport, passport industry, passport initiative, passport photos, passport security, passports, rush passport, U.S. Passport
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Thursday, June 7th, 2012
Biometric data located in passports should be secure. Only those meant to have access to passport data should have access. According to a recent article from Dutch News nl website there is concern over the possibility that US authorities may have access to biometric details embedded in Dutch Passports.
Biometric passports, also known as e-passports, ePassports or a digital passports, refer to a combination of standard passport booklet and an electronic passport chip that contains biometric information. The biometric information is used to authenticate the passport holder’s identity. The passport’s data should be both printed within the passport and stored on the passport chip.
The reason why there is concern about US access to Dutch passport data is because Dutch passports are produced by Haarlem-based company Morpho, a subsidiary of the American Safran group. Dutch officials want to be sure that US authorities will not have access to Dutch fingerprint and facial scans that are stored on the Dutch passports.
There is no proof in the article that mentions that the US has access or is seeking access to Dutch passports, but the article speaks of a concern of a potential breech in Dutch passport security.
From a Dutch standpoint, authorities want to make sure that their biometric passport data is secure.
If you are interested in getting a US passport or visa, contact us at (212) 643-9305. Rush Passport™ Official US Passport Expeditors, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
Tags: biometric passport, digital passports, dutch passport, dutch visa, ePassports, netherlands passport, NYC Passport, passport booklet, passport card, passport chip, passport ny, passport visa, rush passport, secure passport, United States Passport, US passport
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Wednesday, May 25th, 2011
Passports in Israel are about to get a makeover. After putting the passport revisions off for years, now Israel has decided to enter the biometric passport age. In the next few months, Israeli citizens will be expected to exchange their old passports for newer ones.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is going to hold a special meeting to discuss biometric passports and the best way to implement them in Israel.
The goal is for the new Israeli passport to be the most secure passport in the world. There will be many new security features.
The new passport is slated to be an e-passport complete with a wireless communications computer chip. The passport chip will hold secure data about the passport holder including a passport photo, fingerprints, birthdate and signature. There will also be special features that prevent passport fraud. As for the printing of the Israeli passport, that will be done in France.
The passport data will be printed directly onto the passport itself instead of being printed on a sticker. The passport will also features data only visible under ultraviolet light. It is said that the passport will include an image of a Star of David as well as letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
While over 100 countries have employed biometric passports, Israel feels that it is better late than never. It is not surprising that the current Israeli passport is widely considered to be among the least secure passports across the globe.
It is good to see that Israel is on board with bringing passport security to the forefront of the new passport initiative.
If you need a US passport card or other passport services such as an expedited passport, emergency passport, same day passport, US Passport book or passport photos be sure to contact Rush Passport™. You can visit us at http://www.rushpassport.com or call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to speak with a Live Passport Agent. (877) 937-7277 (All 50 States) or (212) 643-9305 New York Passport Agency. Rush Passport™ Official US Passport Expeditors, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Miami, Florida
Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu, biometric passport, e-passport, epassport, Israeli passport, new passports, old passports, passport, passport application, passport card, passport data, passport nyc, passport office, passport photo, passports, rush passport, US passport
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Thursday, December 23rd, 2010
The e-Passport is considered the cornerstone of America’s border security. The Government Printing Office (GPO) is responsible for maintaining the security of the US passport. The GPO is under fire as their passport security has been called into question after discovering that 88 laptops have gone missing. The missing laptops are said to contain access to sensitive information about the e-Passport.
The majority of the missing laptops come from the GPO’s Information and Technology Services division. This division has access to sensitive passport data and is known to have passport data and information stored on the computers.
The e-Passports contain biometric information on computer chips. The computer chips are implanted into US passports with the intention of validating identity of passport holders. This data is then transmitted via radio frequency to US customs officials at passport check points. Passport data and the actual passport photos are all digitized.
This is not the first time that the GPO has come under criticism regarding the safety of the US passport. The GPO has been criticized in the past for outsourcing some passport components to Thailand.
The Thailand component of the passport operation was supposed to have been transferred to Minnesota earlier this year, but the passport components are still being made in Thailand.
While there is no evidence that any sensitive passport information has been compromised, the GPO is revamping their inventory control system for turning in used laptops.
Some reports have the number of missing laptops at as many as 213. Regardless of exactly how many laptops are missing, the GPO needs to put more safeguards in place to uphold the security of the US passport.
If you are a US citizen and interested in getting a US passport, contact Rush Passport™. If you need an expedited passport, emergency passport, same day passport, US Passport book, US Passport Card, passport photos or other passport services, be sure to contact Rush Passport™. You can visit us at http://www.rushpassport.com or call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to speak with a Live Passport Agent. (877) 937-7277 (All 50 States) or (212) 643-9305 New York Passport Agency. Rush Passport™ Official US Passport Expeditors, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Miami, Florida.
Tags: biometric passport, e-passport, e-passports, Government Printing Office, passport, passport data, passport photo, passports, US passport, US Passport Card, US Passports
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Monday, October 11th, 2010
Passport problems for Pakistanis in the United Arab Emirates and in other Gulf countries are being caused by hand-written passports. Pakistanis are being strongly encouraged to replace their hand-written passports with the new biometric machine readable passports (MRP).
Pakistanis are being told not to wait for their passports to expire. Instead they are being advised to get biometric passports as soon as possible.
Many countries in the world have restricted travel for holders of hand-written passports. Biometric passports have become the passport of choice around the world because this form of passport is considered more secure.
As of September 15, the UAE government no longer accepts manual passports. In addition, no visas are being issued to manual passport holders.
The Pakistan government has asked the UAE government for a 1 year grace period in which the manual passports will be accepted. However, it is unlikely that the UAE will grant the request due to passport security concerns.
In addition, the manual passports will be completely invalid by 2012.
If you are a US citizen and you are interested in getting a US Passport or US Passport Card, visit us at http://www.rushpassport.com or call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to speak with a Live Passport Agent. (877) 937-7277 (All 50 States) or (212) 643-9305 New York Passport Agency. Rush Passport™ Official US Passport Expeditors, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Miami, Florida.
Tags: biometric passport, connecticut passport office, hand written passport, long island passport office, machine readable passports, miami passport office, nassau county passport office, ny passport office, Pakistanis, passport expeditors, passport problems, rush passport, suffolk county passport office, US passport, US Passport Card, westchester passport office
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Tuesday, October 5th, 2010
Passports in Ottawa, Canada will soon switch over to electronic passports. The e- passports are due to be issued starting 2012. The new biometric passports will contain a small RFID passport chip that will contain information about the passport holder including name, gender, date of birth, place of birth as well as a small digital photo of the passport holder’s face. The information contained in the biometric passport book could then be utilized to compare to the passport’s biometric data extracted from the passport chip.
In addition, the Canadian e- passports will have a longer lifetime as the time of validity will increase from 5 years to 10 years.
It is undetermined whether or not the new passports will contain fingerprints or other biometric data in addition to the digital photograph of the passport holder’s face.
In 2006, the United Kingdom embarked upon an electronic passport plan that was short-lived due to computer hacking of the passport data chip contained within the biometric passport.
Prior to the passport hacking incident, the British passport was considered one of the most secure passports in the world. Hopefully, the Canadian e- passports will be hack-proof.
By the end of 2010, approximately ninety other countries are scheduled to adopt biometric passports. Over 100 additional countries are scheduled to institute biometric passports by the year 2014.
In addition, the Canadian e- passports will have a longer lifetime as the time of validity will increase from 5 years to 10 years.
If you are thinking about traveling to Canada or to any other country where a passport is required and you need to renew an expired passport or get a first time US Passport or US Passport Card immediately, visit us at www.RushPassport.com or call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to speak with a Live Passport Agent. (877) 937-7277 (All 50 States) or (212) 643-9305 New York Passport Agency. Rush Passport™ : Expediter of Passports, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Miami, Florida.
Tags: biometric passport, Connecticut Passport, e-passport, e-passports, electronic passports, Long Island Passport, long island passport office, ny passport office, passport, passport holder, passports, passports visas, renew passport, rush passport, US passport, US Passport Card, visas passports, westchester passport, westchester passport office
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Wednesday, May 26th, 2010
Elvis' Passport Has Left the Building
According to an article on CNN’s website, two ‘ethical hackers’, as they call themselves, were able to be cleared through an automated passport scanning system at an international airport using a biometric passport issued in the name of legendary (and also long-deceased) rock ‘n’ roll king Elvis Presley.
The doctored passport was presented at a self-service passport machine, and the hacked passport was cleared for travel after a picture of Elvis himself appeared on the scanner’s display screen.
The hackers maintain that the exercise was meant to expose how easy it is to trick a passport scanner using a fraudulent biometric chip.
The Presley Passport test was put into effect to highlight potential security shortcomings. The chip was manufactured by the hackers using materials that are easily accessible and cost less than $100. They were able to create passport content for Elvis Presley, put it on a chip and sign it with a security key for a non-existent country.
Besides an international system for security signatures, a more secure form of scanner that includes fingerprint or eye scans and digital photographs to check a traveler’s biometrics is also suggested.
Currently, most countries depend upon a combination of automated passport scanners and inspection by border control officers. Over-reliance on the automated passport scanning process may be a costly mistake. Too much confidence in technology can create security issues as biometric passport can be compromised as long as passport photos and chips match.
If you are interested in getting a US Passport or US Passport Card, visit us at http://www.rushpassport.com or call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to speak with a Live Agent. (877) 937-7277 (All 50 States) or (212) 643-9305 New York Agency.
Tags: biometric passport, Elvis passport, Elvis Presley passport, get a passport, passport, passport card, passport machine, rush passport, US passport
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