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Yearly Archives: 2019

irish passports

Nearly 1 million Irish passports issued in 2019

Almost 1 million Irish passports were issued in 2019. The Guardian reports that the figure is a new record and represents a 7% increase on...
cfa franc west africa

France to drop CFA franc in West Africa

A new common currency in West Africa – known as the ECO – will be launched in 2020. CNN reports that the ECO will replace...
brexit eu passports

Brexit: record-breaking surge of Brits seeking EU passports

After Boris Johnson’s recent election, the UK is most definitely leaving the EU at the end of January 2020. Quartz reports that the latest data...
greatest passports

Greatest passports of the decade

This past decade, we have witnessed the rise of many new trends and the unfortunate fall of past triumphs. But when it comes to...
turkey visa

Turkey partially lifts visa requirements for Algerians

Turkey issued a presidential decree exempting certain Algerian citizens from having to obtain travel visas when visiting the country. The decision, published in Turkey's Official...

Current and valid passports on eBay

As a historian and collector of old passports, eBay is, of course, one of the sources where I find my collectibles, but also relevant...
hand geometry recognition

Hand geometry recognition: pros and cons

Ravi Das The biometric template creation process of hand geometry recognition To start the enrolment process with a hand geometry recognition system, a combination of both...

India eases regulations for reissue of OCI cards

Last Wednesday the Indian government relaxed certain Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) regulations for the reissue of a passport for those below 20 years...

Myanmar relaxes visa regulations

Tourists from the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Hungary and Austria will be able to receive a visa on arrival upon entering the country...

Vietnam extends visa-free stays

The government of Vietnam decided to extend the visa-free stays for citizens from Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Belarus until...

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India Launches Its First Chip-enabled ePassport

India has launched its very first ePassport, ushering an era of enhanced security and streamlined border crossing checks for its citizens. The document complies...

LIVE BLOG: Louisiana drivers with seizure disorder can now say so on license

To find news about a specific state, click on the state abbreviation here:     For news about a specific US Territory, click on the US...

New Banknotes for Caribbean Islands Curaçao and St. Maarten

After 2010, Curaçao and Sint Maarten became autonomous countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles. It was...

Security Flaws Found in Fingerprint Authentication Systems

Recent research and security incidents have revealed multiple methods that malicious actors can use to circumvent fingerprint authentication systems across various devices, including smartphones,...

South Africa Expands Eligibility for Smart ID Cards

On May 12, 2025, naturalized citizens and lawful permanent residents of South Africa became eligible to apply for Smart Card IDs. The Minister of...

India Launches Its First Chip-enabled ePassport

India has launched its very first ePassport, ushering an era of enhanced security and streamlined border crossing checks for its citizens. The document complies...

LIVE BLOG: Louisiana drivers with seizure disorder can now say so on license

To find news about a specific state, click on the state abbreviation here:     For news about a specific US Territory, click on the US...

New Banknotes for Caribbean Islands Curaçao and St. Maarten

After 2010, Curaçao and Sint Maarten became autonomous countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles. It was...

Security Flaws Found in Fingerprint Authentication Systems

Recent research and security incidents have revealed multiple methods that malicious actors can use to circumvent fingerprint authentication systems across various devices, including smartphones,...

South Africa Expands Eligibility for Smart ID Cards

On May 12, 2025, naturalized citizens and lawful permanent residents of South Africa became eligible to apply for Smart Card IDs. The Minister of...