The Bahrain government has launched a new e-passport as part of its efforts to digitise its services and improve the country’s economic recovery plan.
The e-passport, which has advanced security features, is expected to make it easier and more secure for citizens to travel globally.
According to General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, the Minister of Interior, the e-passport will simplify the visa issuance and exemption process, enhance the classification of the Bahraini passport, and streamline airport transit.
The move is part of the country’s broader sector development strategies.
The new e-passport includes a security chip that will store the biometric information of the passport holder. It also features an artistic design that showcases the Kingdom’s culture and heritage, the statement said.
That being said, here’s all you need to know about Bahrain’s e-passport.
Types of Bahrain e-passport
There are four types of e-Passports. These include:
- The ordinary passport
- The diplomatic passport
- The special passport
- The travel document
The ordinary, diplomatic and special passports have 66 passports, whereas the travel document has 34 pages. All passport types hold a validity of 10 years.
Features of the e-passport
Bahrain’s e-Passport is equipped with many features, both visually as well as electronically. This includes storage of biometric information, UV features, among others.
The cover of the passport also holds the security chip, in which the biometric data is stored.
The new e-passports, which will be issued on March 20, contains modern security technologies and an electronic chip that will improve Bahrain’s global ranking and make obtaining visas easier.
Shaikh Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, the Interior Ministry’s Undersecretary for Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA) said that the issuance of the e-passport reflects the Kingdom of Bahrain’s “interest in digital transformation, explaining that the new design contains modern security technologies that are used for the first time,” in a statement.
Colin Howell, representative of HID Global, said that the data page contains seven protected layers that constitute the highest security standards ever. The new passport design also incorporates cultural and historical symbols, such as horses, falcons, and the star of Suhail.
“There are important symbols in Bahrain’s heritage represented by horses and falcons, and from the sea the beautiful fisker fish, in addition to the stars, the most important of which is the star of Suhail. All these details have been embodied in the design of the passport,” he said.
Howell added: “The new design combines the past with the present, as the pages of the passport contain paintings of distinctive urban buildings. The rich history of Bahrain has been merged with the modern, with consideration of many historical and cultural stations. A tale of beauty, civilisation and originality.”
The new passport will cost BD12 and BD15 for replacement, with the processing time is similar to the previous passport, depending on the volume of work.
Applicants are urged to submit their applications when their passport is nearing expiration, and to adhere to the required conditions.
“The duration of completing the e-passport will not differ from the period of issuing the previous passport, as this depends on the volume of work and the numbers of passports delivered to the administration. It usually ranges between two days for replacing the regular passport, and five working days for issuing the passport for the first time,” Shaikh Hisham added.
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