Romanians to receive biometric passports starting in 2009

20/07/2008

BUCHAREST, Romania -- Romanians will receive biometric passports starting in January 1st 2009, President Traian Basescu announced Friday (July 18th). The new passports will include the fingerprints and a scanned photo of the holder. Under its obligations as an EU-member state, Romania was supposed to introduce the biometric passports in January 2007 but failed to meet that deadline. There will be three types of the new identity documents -- simple, diplomatic and business. (Adevarul - 19/07/08, Mediafax, Rompres - 18/07/08)