Russian Federation starts experiment with electronic foreign passports

An experiment concerning establishment of new foreign passports in the Russian Federation starts in 2006.

"According to Russian President?s decree, new foreign passports are to be given out on January 1, 2006", reported the deputy chief of the Federal Migration Service Mikhail Tyurkin.

According to him "Putting new passports into use doesn?t mean obligatory changing of previously given documents. They remain in use until the period of validity expiration."

"This is a pilot project. At the same time old foreign passports continue to be given out", emphasized the deputy chief of the Federal Migration Service.

Tyurkin also noted, that a new passport should cost each Russian citizen not more than a thousand rubles. Inhabitants of Kaliningrad region the passport is to be given out free of charge.

The new foreign passport holds electronic chip on one of the pages, containing information about the passport owner and his/her digital photo. No additional data, except traditionally printed, are to be included in the chip.

Later on, in case of necessity, finger-prints or retina print may be included in the chip. The new foreign passport is to be more difficult to forge, considers Russian government.

At first, chips for passports are to be purchased abroad, meanwhile arranging their production in Russia. The new passport prime cost is to constitute about $70, and the document is to be given out for ten years.

sections: Society, World News, Region News
regions: Central region