Bullettin about the Electronic Passport for Italian Citizens

17/10/2006 -

Starting from 26 October 2006 Italian Consular Offices abroad and Police Departments in Italy will start to issue a new model of passport, electronic and biometric, by using the most modern technologies with highest security standards. The electronic passport is provided with particular features against counterfeiting stamp and with a microchip that allows registering data, electronically certified, concerning the holder and the authority issuing it. The fee for the new passport, due to its sophisticated technology, has been set by Ministry of Economy and Finance: 44,66 Euro for the 32 pages booklet and 45,62 Euro for the 48 booklet. The Annual tax for governmental concession has not been changed and must not be paid if the passport is used within EU countries. The issuing of this travel document, set by a European Union decision, will allow benefiting of the Visa Waiver Programme that authorizes the entry in the U.S.A. or the transit within their airports without the VISA. Since 26 October only, the holders of the new electronic passports issued by Police Departments before the 26 October 2006 (Consular Offices have not yet issued this kind of passport) or holders of optical reading passports issued or renewed before 26 of October 2005 will be able to enter or transit in the United States, without Visa. We remind that underage children will benefit of the Visa Waiver Programme only if holder of an individual passport because it is not sufficient the registration on parents’ passport. Since 12 October 2006 all appliers for passport will be considered as submitted for the Electronic passport therefore they will have to pay corresponding amount. Only for proved emergency situations, when it is necessary to issue the passport before 26 October, the previous optical reading passport will be issued. For applications submitted before 12 October 2006, the old machine-readable passports will be issued until 25 October 2006, collecting the corresponding amount, unless the applicants will request the electronic passport, which will be issued starting from 26th October after the payment of the remaining amount set.

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