From October this year a new biometric passport will be available for UK citizens. The new style passport will include a computer chip carry a digital photo and have the capacity to store at least one other form of data such as fingerprints.
The passports will pretty much the same as the old ones and the Passport Office says that they shouldn't take any longer to be issued. Any adults applying for their first passport will also have to undergo an authorization interview from the end of 2006. These interviews are a bid to improve security and stop fraudulent
applications - the 1,500 of these were made last year.
The new U.S. security procedures, due for implementation from the 26 October will mean that any visitors to the United States will need a biometric passport, or if they have an older style passport, they will have to apply for a visa. However UK nationals with a passport issued before 26 October may still be allowed to enter the U.S. on the Visa Waiver Program. Other countries are also tightening the entry requirements. For example from November those planning working holiday to Australia will have to apply for an additional visa if they have already done three month's work.
