biometric passports

Uzbekistan introduces biometric passports

Uzbek President Islam Karimov signed a decree to introduce biometric passports in Uzbekistan from 1 January 2010.

The decree said biometric passports are introduced in line with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). ICAO entrusted member states to introduce biometric passports by 2010.

The document said that biometric passports will be introduced in several stages and the government will create special body, which will gather information on passport holders.

The decree said employees of ministries and state bodies of Uzbekistan and individuals, traveling abroad, as well as citizens, who are receiving new passports, will get biometric passports in the first stage (in 2010).

All citizens of Uzbekistan will receive new passports in the second stage (2010-2015).

The document also included measures on creating necessary infrastructure for issuing biometric passport