Updated: Biometric passports launched, new prices announced
(Adds new passports tariff)
The Passports Office has started issuing biometric passports, providing holders with a more secure travel document.
The launch was made this morning by Communications Minister Austin Gatt ,who said the new passports were being introduced in line with international requirements.
He explained that the new passports contain the same information as the old ones, but the information is held in a more secure manner in a chip embedded in the document.
In the future, the chip will also carry an image of the holder's fingerprint.
Dr Gatt said the introduction of the new passports was also an important step by Malta to meet US requirements for eligibility to the visa waiver programme.
The Passports Office has also revised the tariffs for passports. A new passport for those aged over 16, valid for 10 years, now costs €70, a jump from just under €28.
The minister explained that an empty passport previously used to cost the Passport Office €3 and it now cost €30. The Office has also invested over €12 million on the new equipment to input the details on the passports. That outlay may never be fully recovered, despite the new prices, the minister said.
Passports Office officials said existing valid passports need not be replaced until they expire.
The new tariffs are:
Passport for those aged over 16, valid for 10 years: €70
Passport for children aged between 10 and 16, valid for five years: €35
Passport for children under 10 years, valid for two years: €14
Collective certificate to serve as passport: €85
45 Comments
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Peter Attard
Oct 10th 2008, 19:31
The old passport was for 10 years also not 5 years. So, the new one is double the price. Pheewww good for me I made a new one early this year
deb bugeja
Oct 10th 2008, 13:22
Also I would like to comment why the hassle of producing biometric passports for more secure travel documentation when thousand of illegal immigrants are entering Malta without any documentation.
k borg
Oct 10th 2008, 11:06
@ deb bugeja
One is valid for 10 year the other is valid for 5 years = 10/5=2
Euros 70/2 = Euros 35
A Bonnici
Oct 10th 2008, 09:30
@deb bugeja
i think its double the price because the passport is valid for double the time. one is 5 years and the other 10 yrs. this is because ppl over 16 travel more so their passport will be valid longer....
Noel Cutajar
Oct 10th 2008, 07:48
Well, we are making things easier for forgers...I have seen Maltese passports which were forged and neither UK or Spanish authorities managed to identify them. It was mere chance. Now with the chip they can only read the data. Please do not tell me this does not happen as they have enough technology to do so...refer to recent card cloning.
Secondly, we are becoming a society where all our information is stored on computers, susceptible to identity theft. Think about the recent cases in the UK where a number of personal data was 'lost'.
Emma Xerri
Oct 9th 2008, 23:29
@Charles Sammut. Your observations are correct.
This is nothing but Big Brother tactics against honest, hard-working citizens – we all know that illegal immigrants have a free reign as a matter of policy in the US and EU. The “Terrorists” can also come and go as they please as they are there to serve the Power Elite that created them in order to instill a climate of terror necessary for honest citizens to acquiesce to the introduction of draconian legislation that erodes their hard-won rights.
The true objective – a One World Government ruled by the mostly an all White Power Elite made up of the old and new aristocracy (the multinational Corporations and their minions, the politicians and leaders) and a subservient and mostly powerless underclass without any rights or say but to work for the privileged few.
In the future there will be no middle class, which is the greatest threat to the New World Order and that is why most of these new regulations seek to only curtail and eventually eliminate this sector of the world population. It is being implemented in stages and at different rates all around the globe.
Let all that have eyes see.
Liam Kelly
Oct 9th 2008, 22:18
Jesmond Farrugia,
Although the UK may ask for passports it is simply not the case and a passport IS NOT REQUIRED. The Id card provides all the information they need to know (i.e. we are EU citizens).
deb bugeja
Oct 9th 2008, 19:00
Could someone tell me the difference in price of a passaport of an adult and that of a child between 10 to 16years.? Why is there a difference of 35euros.?
lori zammit
Oct 9th 2008, 17:27
i hope that transactions of WHOEVER SOMEHOW has access to the biometrics passport system are audited. if not they must be.
J,Borg
Oct 9th 2008, 16:01
@ A. Gerada.....
so according to you....because of these few who have to pay more for an american visa.......we common people who don't travel to america have to fork out more money for our passport.....so that FEW people will save the hassle of applying and paying more for a visa.
What about schengen....and those who wrote that travelling from uk or scotland as having to use the passport...don't they know that UK is not in the schengen zone like us
Anthony gerada
Oct 9th 2008, 12:49
@Robert Cassar,
It seems that you applied for your US visitors visa 8 yers ago as they are generally valid for 10 years. So maybe you do not know that it became a nightmare to redo the process (after september 11) plus it now costs 120 euros.
I would rather change my passport for 70 euros, besides you can now do it online.
best of luck
Robert Cassar
Oct 9th 2008, 09:33
My passport is still valid for other 8 years however I still have 2 years left in my Visa for USA. So next time instead of just renewing my Visa I will have to make a new passport! What a hassle and hmmm what a price – Nice one Austin
M Xuereb
Oct 9th 2008, 09:02
@A Gauci: You may freely use your ID card when travelling to any EU country - so long as it is still valid! Check the expiry date on yours first, and if need be get it updated. I recently travelled to Europe and was fortunate enough to have taken my passport with me besides my ID card. Otherwise I wouldn't have been allowed travel back to Malta!
J.Borg
Oct 9th 2008, 07:14
Update......
weren't we once told that in the future we could travel across Europe by using our identy cards.....so why these type of passports
This is only to help the American government....so EU should make the americans pay for all expenses incurred and not pass them to us common people.....
Or maybe this is another way of collecting some more taxes from the people...
Can anyone enlighten us as to how many maltese passengers travel to america every year!!!!
AgiusA
Oct 9th 2008, 02:36
Does the new passport at least have more pages than the previuos one? When travelling frequently outside Europe one is practically obliged to change 30 page passport every so often!
Tony Baldacchino
Oct 9th 2008, 00:08
@ James Montanaro
1) you have all the right in the world to comment but please when you do get the facts right.
2) you mention that government has a monopoly on passports. I hope you are not suggesting that it should be the private sector to produce passports. What about security???
3) Please check this website http://europa.eu/abc/travel/doc/index_en.htm Print it when you travel to the UK and show it to immigration officer. Other wise you can file a compliant with the EU Parliament Ombudsman
4) Well you pay 6000 euros tax, so your salary should be close to 25000 per year. hard to believe you cannot afford a visit to the US
5) I do not suppose we maltese are special that the americans should pay us to visit their country
6) It seems you have no idea how much income tax EU nationals pay. In Belgium 50percent is taxed.
7) If you have nothing to hide, you should not worry.
hope this clarifies your concerns
Charles Sammut
Oct 8th 2008, 21:30
Funny how the USA and the EU, hell bent on more big brother antics, both have porous borders which are constantly penetrated by thousand of illegal immigrants without any documents whatsoever.
Kind of futile having biometric passports and face recognition systems at airports when the physical borders are wide open.
A Camilleri
Oct 8th 2008, 20:26
Most annoying is the need to change children's passports every two years. This is required even if travelling within Shengen .... since children don't have id cards.
J.Borg
Oct 8th 2008, 20:21
Just heard that biometric passports give us more security......
But aren't we in the Schengen Zone and we don't need to show our passports....
As far as i know this is only required to enter USA without a VISA.......can anyone tell me how many Maltese visit USA every year.....i don't think more than they visit eurpean cities...
So why impose this payment on all the maltese........
For me a lot of waste of money......
James Formosa
Oct 8th 2008, 20:14
You're all worring about 70 euros every 10 years!!!!!!!!! LOVL
Just wait for the budget ;)