In order to meet its commitment to fulfil the Council of the European Union regulation regarding the composition of travel documents, Hungary began introducing biometric passports and ID cards.
Introduction of second generation biometric travel documents brings increased security
- 01 February 2016
In order to fulfil its obligations as a member of the European Union, Hungary began issuing second generation biometric passports. The Regulation of the Council of the European Union was updated twice - once to stipulate that passports needed to carry a photo as biometric proof of identity and again ten years later to include the requirement for a fingerprint.
With this in mind, Hungarian passports were updated along with the IT infrastructure required to handle their production, distribution and authentication. Once the technical requirements were met, Hungary had in place an EU-approved travel document system.
Further benefits
Alongside the new passport services, a new identity card for minors was introduced. This is not compulsory but if applied it would allow the holder to travel carrying only an ID card within the Schengen area, for example.
Security is one of the most important benefits of the second generation passport and ID card. Having the standard photographic biometric data and a fingerprint would create a unique relationship between the travel document and the holder.
Moreover, the new documents help reduce cross-border crime and provide another line of defence in combatting terrorism.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Second-generation biometric passport” is HUF 989 000 000 (approximately EUR 3 181 900), of which the EU’s European Regional Development Fund is contributing HUF 840 650 000 (approximately EUR 2 704 563) from the Operational Programme “Electronic Public Administration” for the 2007 to 2013 programming period.