DPS rolls out encrypted photo service in Ireland for online biometric passport renewals

Biometric photo ID company DPS has rolled out an encrypted photo ID technology across Ireland in partnership with the Irish Passport Service, enabling citizens to use coded passport photos for online passport renewal across a large network of stores in Ireland and the UK.

The new IDstation.online secure digital photo ID service is available through collaborations with local partners such as Fujifilm, Swains, and DLK Photo, making Ireland the third country, after the UK and France, to launch the service.

“We are delighted about this collaboration with the Irish government,” says DPS Managing Director Paul Visser. “Our secure photo ID technology assures ICAO-compliant passport photos and the various security features provide a secure and efficient delivery of passport photos to the Irish online renewal application.”

The service provides applicants with a code to submit their passport photo, rather than a printed photo itself. The code enables the Irish Passport Service to retrieve the encrypted and securely stored image directly from DPS, and applicants are informed of non-ICAO compliant images on the spot, allowing them to be retaken without a subsequent trip, and decreasing the number of failed applications, according to the announcement. DPS security features are used to detect identity fraud attempts, such as with Morphing or AI generated faces.

“Citizens will benefit from increased choice, with selected pharmacies and camera shops now providing the facility to capture passport photos for use on the Irish passport renewals website securely and to ICAO standards,” comments Siobhan Byrne, deputy director and head of the Passport Service Reform Programme. “With the rollout of online child renewals, the service also helps parents of young children to capture high-quality passport photos. It is a great example of collaboration between public and private sectors.”

The number of ePassports with integrated biometrics is expected to grow by 18 percent this year, according to recent research.

Article Topics

biometric passport  |  biometrics  |  encryption  |  face photo  |  Ireland