Electronic Passport components and solutions for government printing works
End-to-end ePassport solution
Thales offers a complete end-to-end ePassport solution.
From issuanceand personalization of highly secure travel documents such as biometric passports to enrolment and robustborder control security solutions, Thales can offer the whole product or supply any part of the chain.
We deliver fully compliant, highly secure, tailor-made solutions to your hand when you want them, safe, secure and trusted.
Components and solutions
Thales also offers variouscomponents and solutions for National Printersissuing machine-readable passports, electronic passports, or the latest generation of biometric passports.
- Our core offer is Thales eTravel, our ICAO-compliant secure embedded software, which offers the highest performance level and interoperability in the market.
- Our Premium Inlay and Premium eCover are our ultra-thin and flexible inlaysand electronic covers for easy integration in the booklet manufacturing process and the support from our experts and technical consultants for optimal results.
- We offer polycarbonate data pagesfor the highest level of security and innovative security features combining optical and visual features for security-conscious printers. This includesthe innovation of a secure Color picture in polycarbonate.
- We offer over 40 security features: visually appealing, challenging to forge, and simple to verify with the naked eye or a passport scanner. These include unrivalled innovations, enabling almost limitless design potentialand the highest security level. Moreover, our design experts can help you definethe optimum choice of features to fit your needs and requirements.
Passport durability
ThalesePassport components sustain the real-world stress of stringent day-to-day use and have a long lifetime of up to tenyears in the field.
This is ensured by rigorous durability requirements surpassing ICAO andISO standards.
Committed to crafting exceptional passports
Thales has contributed to over 30 electronic and biometric passport programs to date.
This achievement reflects the continued growth of identity markets and leadership of the company's ePassportsolutions from complete solutions or specific key components.
Thales' passport references include in particular:
- Belgium
- Finland
- France
- Malaysia
- Norway
- Singapore
- South Africa
- Sweden
- Thailand (for the next generation of Thai biometric passports)
Turkey
- the United Kingdom (for the new British passport)
- theUnited States of America(since 2006)
How to design a secure passport in 2023?
At Thales, we believe in taking a comprehensive approach to security.
We offer extensive experience and support, enabling our customers to meet their expectations for distinctive documents that are as secure as they are attractive.
Collaboration with customers lies at the heart of our process, and we have developed a comprehensive approach to passport security designthat we believe can lead to superior results.
We also believe authorities mustn't overlook the importance of a security-conscious approach to the paper elements (data page, booklet, cover). We keep on investing indeveloping high-securityprinting solutionsfor our clients.
It's part of the Holistic Design philosophy Thales has been implementing for several years to create state-of-the-art IDs and passports with customer satisfaction in mind.
What is the future of ePassport?
LDS2
The ICAO is currently working on the Logical Data Structure version 2 or LDS2, the next evolution of the ePassport standards.
LDS2 is still in its early stages, and much work has still to be done by the ICAO NTWG Logical Data Structure 2 (LDS2) Sub-Group before it is applied.
Digital travel credentials
Ready to replace everything with a smartphone?
Smart virtual credentials are an essential step that will undoubtedly impact Machine Readable Passportsin the future. We believe virtual passports can expand rapidly as a companion form of ID to a physical passport.
We explore the early stages of cloud passports on this page.
ePassport best practices and trends (2018-2023)
Thales' experience is a key asset for your project's success. Thales aims to inform our partners and the wider industry, share best practices, and present expert analysis.
That's why weare glad to share this overview of our customers' best practices andtrends in electronic passportsin our web dossier.
Why paper still matters in passports
Discover ourweb dossier on security printingand why paper still matters.
After all, paper pages still make up the bulk of the document. We believe careful attention must be paid to paper elements when designing a passport.
We'll be happy to talk with you about your e-passport migration project.
