The inside page of Shen's e-passport.
A man surnamed Shen presents his e-passport Thursday.
SHENZHEN police are reminding residents and visitors that the new-generation passports, known as e-passports, can't yet be used for automated immigration checks, although the electronically enhanced passports have a preset function that should speed up processing times at checkpoints as the system develops.
The exit-entry administrations of Shenzhen's public security bureau started issuing the new-generation passports in each district Thursday.
Unlike old passports, the new-generation documents use contactless smart-card technology, including a microchip and antenna embedded in the front cover.
The chip contains information including the holder's name, date of birth, photo and biological data such as fingerprints.
Shenzhen police initiated the new-generation passports May 15. It generally takes 10 business days for applicants to get the new version.
"We didn't see an application rush for new-generation passports and we're generally handling about 200 applications a day, just like before," Zhao Jun, chief of the exit-entry administration of the Nanshan District Public Security Subbureau, said Thursday.
The new passports' chips, which can only be decoded by passport-issuing authorities and officials at border checkpoints, are expected to give travelers a simpler, quicker experience at checkpoints and help prevent counterfeiting.
More than 90 countries have adopted e-passports. Most European Union countries, Australia and New Zealand began using e-passports in 2006. Japan and South Korea introduced e-passports in 2006 and 2008, respectively.
Source:Shenzhen Daily