Bahrain rolls out ‘ePassport’ with advanced security; transition to cost BD12

The move is as per the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to provide modern and integrated services to citizens and the follow-up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

The ePassport features a sim card that contains the personal and biometric information of the passport holder, making it more secure and difficult to forge. Interior Ministry Undersecretary for NPRA, Shaikh Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa said the visa pages are designed to showcase the country’s rich history, heritage, and legacy, bridging the gap between the past and present.

Additionally, the passport includes the hashtag #Team_Bahrain, making it the world’s first global passport to feature a tag. The ePassport also boasts advanced security features, such as a safe design visible under ultraviolet light, Mirage features visible under reflected light, MLI properties visible when tilted, and transparent windows.

Mirage is a security feature that secures windows in polycarbonate data pages. When viewed in daylight the holders’ image is visible, when viewed against a light source the watermark of the flower of eternity is visible.

Get it for BD12

Citizens who wish to shift from their physical passport to the new e-passport will be charged BD12, with a validity of 10 years for those aged 21 and above, and five years for those below.

Shaikh Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, Interior Ministry Under-Secretary for Nationality, Passports, and Residence Affairs, also confirmed that the fee for replacing an e-passport will be BD15.

However, if a passport is lost, the fee for reissuing a regular passport will be BD50 and for replacing a damaged passport is BD15. The decision is expected to benefit citizens by providing a more streamlined and secure passport application process, while also enhancing the country’s border security measures.

It was earlier reported that the new system will use BlueLine Technology to verify a person as they approach a verification point, adding another layer of security to the e-passport system. With the implementation of these new measures, the NPRA hopes to provide citizens with a seamless and secure passport application process, while also enhancing the country’s border security measures.

12 months’ effort

During his presentation, Colin Howell, a senior security designer, stated that the concept they had designed had been in development for the past 12 months, and stressed that it had been a collaborative effort with the authorities.

“For 30 years, I have been working in this industry. I spent a decade developing banknotes and coins for global circulation and have been involved in passport design for 20 years. Together with my team, we have created 30 passports for use in various countries.”

He stressed that the original design called for a six-page passport, but ended up creating a twelve-page passport. He also highlighted the importance of including sections on the financial hub, tourism, innovation, industry, faith, nature, history, education, governance, transport, sport, and Bab al Bahrain.

“The e-passport portrays the complete culture of Bahrain on these pages, showcasing not only its diversity but also its richness in these different areas.” The Interior Minister also toured an exhibition organized by NPRA on the sideline of the ceremony displaying some historical documents and images about the project’s progress.