You are here: silicon.com > Management > Law & Policy

Law & Policy

Passport applicants told to stop smiling

Biometric standards are no laughing matter, says UK Passport Service

Tags: epassports, passport, biometric

By Andy McCue

Published: 6 September 2005 13:35 GMT

UK passport applicants are being warned not to smile to ensure their mug shots comply with international aviation standards and also work with facial recognition technology being introduced with the new biometric 'ePassports'.

The new guidelines about passport photos were introduced last summer but will be strictly enforced from 12 September.

Photos submitted with passport applications from that date must show the full face looking straight at the camera with a neutral expression and mouth closed. Sunglasses or heavily tinted glasses and long fringes that cover the eyes are also a no-no.

The guidelines will ensure UK passports comply with standards introduced by the International Civil Aviation Organisation in 2003. Standardisation of passport photos means the UK Passport Service (UKPS) can also use facial recognition technology to weed out fraudulent applicants who try to apply for more than one passport using different names.

Bernard Herdan, chief executive of the UKPS, said in a statement: "In the face of the growing threat of forgery and identity theft, countries all around the world are tightening the security of their passports to the internationally agreed standards."

Existing passport holders will not need to have their current passports updated but they will have to comply with the new guidelines when they renew or replace their passports.

  1. Zones
  2. Management
  3. Networks
  4. Software
  5. IT Services
  6. Hardware
  1. Verticals
  2. Public Sector
  3. Financial Services
  4. Retail & Leisure

  • Jobs
Non Destructive Test Engineer

Mylen Recruitment Ltd is a recruitment agency specialising in Aerospace, Automotive, Aviation, Design, Mechanical, Electronic, Production, IT and ...

Test Systems Engineer (Passive)

Mylen Recruitment Ltd is a recruitment agency specialising in Aerospace, Automotive, Aviation, Design, Mechanical, Electronic, Production, IT and ...

Operations / Implementation Engineer

Automotive, Aviation, Design, Mechanical, Electronic, Production, IT and Software, Engineering. We will require a current copy of a passport, driving ...

Agenda Setters 2009
Welcome to the ninth annual Agenda Setters poll – silicon.com's list of the top 50 most influential individuals in the technology and IT industries, from techies and CIOs to entrepreneurs and business leaders. Find out more in our latest special report.





Quick Sitemap Links: