New ePassports featuring the latest in technical advancement and verification in ID documents have received international recognition and acclaim.
The High Security Printing Latin America conference, organised by Reconnaissance International, has hosted the 2019 winners of the Regional ID Documents of the Year awards at a ceremony in San José, Costa Rica earlier this month.
This saw the best new ePassport and best ePassport upgrade recognised for outstanding achievement and technical sophistication of a document. It also recognised the best in system infrastructure and implementation of a government passport or national identity card scheme.
The first award went to the Dirección General de Migración of the Plurinacional State of Bolivia for the new Bolivian ePassport, which replaced a non-electronic passport.
Featuring upwards of 30 security features, including exclusive watermarks, micro-lettering, inlays, UV inks, iridescent and secure inks, the e-Passport also includes one of the latest technologies in the secure identity market – the anti-skimming technology. This patented technology, developed by SPS, part of IN Groupe, is an innovative active scrambling device designed to protect the secure data of citizens from hacking through RFID waves.
As a result, the Bolivian ePassport is now one of the most secure passports in Latin America. Furthermore, the cost for the Bolivian citizen has stayed the same.
The new ePassport also allows the Bolivian government to meet criteria for the visa waiver program for the Schengen area. With the electronic document, citizens can travel more easily, helping to facilitate economic exchanges with Europe and improving everyday life for citizens.
The award is the result of an efficient collaboration with the Ministry of the Economy and Public Finance and the Dirección General de Migración of Bolivia. It was presented to Director General for Passports and Alien Affairs of the Dirección General de Migración of Bolivia Giovanni Salguero López and IN Groupe’s Director of Sales for Latin America Mariano López.
The second award went to Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores of Colombia for its upgraded ePassport, launched in July 2018. This incorporates upgraded security features and design depicting sites that are part of Colombia’s cultural and natural heritage.
According to the Ministry, the decision to modernise the travel document was made on the recommendation of the International Civil Aviation Organisation. Since 2010, when the current administration took office, very few changes had been made to the Colombian passport.
The new document incorporates polycarbonate data page to prevent personal details and the photo from being altered and includes new security features such as raised print, diffractive optically variable device, multiple laser image and secondary photo of the document holder.
In addition, each page of the passport booklet depicts detailed depictions of Colombia’s cultural and natural heritage, including the Caño Cristales river, the Tatacoa Desert, Las Lajas Sanctuary, Malpelo Island, and Tayrona National Park.
The award was presented to Oscar Álvarez, Technical Director at Thomas Greg & Sons in Colombia who have produced and supplied the new document.
Further details of the High Security Printing Latin America Regional Banknote Awards are available at https://www.reconnaissance.net/hsp-latinamerica/
