Mr James Pil

Email: [FOI #23753 email]

Reference: FOICR 13431/09

Date: 18 December 2009

Dear Mr Pil

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST

Thank you for your e-mail of 25 November in which you ask for information on the biometric symbol on the cover of the British passport. We are now in a position to offer a full reply to your request.

You asked:-

1) Recently I observed this symbol on the cover of a friend's newish passport that is not on my older passport. When was this addition added to UK Passport covers?

The first UK passport with this symbol was issued in October 2005. Since October 2006, all UK passports have contained this symbol.

2) What does this symbol signify and to what does it pertain?

The symbol that you describe was developed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which sets the standards for travel documents.  The symbol is used on the front of a passport to show that the passport contains an electronic chip and meets ICAO minimum standards for an e-passport.  More on this can be found on the ICAO website: http://www2.icao.int/en/MRTD/Downloads/Guidance%20Material/Machine%20Readable%20Travel%20Documents%20-%20Passenger%20Facilitation.pdf - please refer to section 3.2.

3) I believe this symbol is also on USA Passports, is this so?

Yes.

4) What other Countries and what Organisations are using this symbol?

This symbol is used by travel document issuers to show that their travel documents meet ICAO standards for electronic machine readable travel documents (eMRTDs). It may also be used on related hardware to show that it is compatible for use with eMRTDs.

We believe that there are over 60 countries now issuing e-passports, and information on other countries' passports (last updated in May 2009) can be found on the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) website at: http://www.ips.gov.uk/cps/files/ips/live/assets/documents/PASSPORT_COMPARISON__website__May09.pdf

5) Does this symbol denote allegiance or duty or joinder by the Passport holder to whatever the symbol represents or to some entity or rules?

No

6) Does this symbol effectively or attempt to put the Passport holder into a specific jurisdiction or control? If so what jurisdiction or control?

No

7) Does this symbol denote allegiance or duty or joinder by the United Kingdom (in whatever guise) to some arrangement or some entity or set of rules or guidelines?

This symbol shows that the UK e-passport complies with ICAO guidelines for eMRTDs.

If you are dissatisfied with this response you may request an independent internal review of our handling of your request by submitting your complaint within two months to the below address quoting reference FOICR 13431/09:

Information Rights Team
Information and Record Management Service
Home Office
4th Floor, Seacole Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

Email: [email address]

During the independent review the department's handling of your information request will be reassessed by members of staff who were not involved in providing you with this response. Should you remain dissatisfied after this internal review, you will have a right of complaint to the Information Commissioner as established by section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act.

In keeping with the spirit and effect of the Freedom of Information Act, all information is assumed to be releasable to the public unless exempt. The department therefore, will be simultaneously releasing to the public the information you requested together with any related information that will provide a key to its wider context.

I hope that you find this information of interest, and would like to assure you that you have been supplied with all relevant information that IPS holds.

Yours sincerely

H Reid

Freedom of Information Team

Passport Adviceline: 0300 222 0000 (07.00 - 23.00 seven days a week).

Email us at [email address]. Visit our website at www.ips.gov.uk.

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