Belarus to begin issuing biometric passports next January

Alyaksei Byahun, head of the Citizenship and Migration Department of the Belarus Ministry of Internal Affairs, recently confirmed that on January 1, 2020, the Ministry will begin to issue citizens biometric passports for traveling abroad, Belsat TV reports. The date for introducing the new identity document was pushed back from January 1, 2019.

Last May X-Infotech and Emperor Technology won the tender to supply Belarus with the hardware and software needed for a system for the collection, processing and storing of biometric and identity data, personalization and issuance of the country’s ePassport and eID card.

Every citizenship and migration office is expected to receive biometric devices purchased from X-Infotech and Emperor by 2020 to enable fingerprint and facial image capture, and the government said it will also open a data personalization center.

In January X-Infotech was acquired by Silverlake Axis which now owns 80 percent of the equity interest in the company.

Article Topics

biometric passport  |  ePassports  |  face photo  |  fingerprint biometrics