RFID-chipped passport deadline passes

The deadline for countries required by the US to issue passports with RFID tags has passed and all but three of the nations involved are now issuing the so-called ePassports, according to the US Department of Homeland Security (DoHS).

Except for Andorra, Brunei and Liechtenstein, the DoHS said all of the 27 countries whose citizens can travel to the US without a visa are now issuing ePassports. The high-tech passports include an RFID chip with the passport holder's information and a biometric identifier, such as a digital photograph, to make them harder to forge.

DoHS secretary Michael Chertoff said in a statement: "The upgrade to e-Passports is a significant advance in preventing terrorists from using lost or stolen passports to obtain entry into the United States."

The US government has pushed for the electronic passport for the past two years and recently started producing them itself. The deadline for all the countries in the Visa Waiver Program to start issuing RFID-chipped passports was 26 October.

RFID tags are being included in passports despite concerns about the holder's privacy and security. At worst, the chips could let terrorists identify bearers from a distance, which means they could be used as a trigger for explosives, experts have said.

The take-up of the electronic passports is bad news for privacy, said Bruce Schneier, chief technology officer of Counterpane Internet Security. "The risk in RFID passports is surreptitious access, and the security measures different countries are taking are varied in their scope and effectiveness," he said.

For protection, holders of an electronic passport should guard it well, Schneier suggested. "If you're stuck with one of these passports, use a photocopy whenever you can and keep the real one wrapped in tin foil," he said.

The US government has repeatedly dismissed the security and privacy concerns. The passports "have critical security features which prevent the unauthorised reading... of data stored on the chip" the DoHS said on Thursday.

Travellers holding passports from Andorra, Brunei or Liechtenstein will need a visa to enter the US if they hold a passport issued on or after 26 October, 2006. That requirement will persist until ePassports are available in those countries, the DoHS said.

The 27 countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program are: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

The Visa Waiver Program applies to citizens of these countries travelling to the US for 90 days or less. Approximately 15 million people each year enter the US under the programme, the US government said.

Joris Evers writes for CNET News.com