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The Zimbabwe government has announced the launch of the Electronic Passport (e-Passport), that comes with advanced security features as part of measures to protect citizens against identity theft and counterfeiting of travel documents.
A statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage said, “‘All valid traditional passports (non-electronic) will cease to be acceptable internationally by 31st December 2023, and will therefore need to be replaced by e-Passports in terms of the new regulations.”
Zimbabwe’s introduction of the e-Passport resonates with global best practices and the migration from the traditional passports to the e-passport conforms to the need to implement technology-aided improvements which safeguard immigration, added the Ministry statement.
As the country adopts the e-Passport which comes with more robust security features, citizens will become less wary of identity theft and invasion of privacy.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which is the specialised United Nations agency on aviation security and standards for international travel prescribes member states to adopt measures that safeguard the integrity and security of travel and identity documents
What is an e-Passport?
An e-Passport (also known as a biometric passport), is a passport that has an embedded electronic microprocessor chip in the cover. The passport chip contains biometric information that is used to authenticate the identity of the passport holder.
A holder’s important information is printed on the data page of the passport and stored in the chip. This includes name, date of birth and other biographic information.
An electronic passport is a modern security document with many security features – these are standardised by ICAO and other large international bodies such as the EU.
e-Passports are already being used in more than 60 countries worldwide.
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