News | ID & Secure Document News

Francis Tuffy

25 March 2026

3 min read

HSP EMEA Makes Its African Debut with a Record Audience

In February, the 22nd edition of the High Security Printing™ (HSP) EMEA conference took place in Rabat, Morocco, marking the event’s first appearance on the African continent. Attendance was recorded at 341 delegates representing 146 organisations across 49 countries, with an increased proportion of government agencies and central bank delegations.

Event Review Free Free

Francis Tuffy

25 March 2026

4 min read

There is No Seamless Travel When You Have to Evacuate – Editorial

For the past few years, the travel industry, along with the ID and secure document community have been promoting the idea that borders can be made frictionless. And to be fair, many parts of that vision are working.

Editorial

Jim Marsh

25 March 2026

4 min read

Closing the Identity Gap: Modernising the Driving Licence Lifecycle Through a Practical, Integrated Approach

Across the US and in many other countries, driving licences serve as a primary form of identification. They enable residents to verify who they are, access government services, and increasingly participate in emerging digital identity ecosystems.

Driving Licences

Francis Tuffy

25 March 2026

7 min read

Face to Face with Clive Vacher, CEO De La Rue

Few companies can match the heritage of De La Rue when it comes to government-issued documents of value. The company supplies high-security banknotes, substrates and security features for over 69 national currencies and, since 2020, it has designed over half of the world’s new banknote designs. De La Rue was the prime contractor for the British passport from 2010 to 2020, designing and producing the biometric ‘Series B’ passport and manufacturing booklets at its Gateshead plant.

Interviews

Francis Tuffy

25 March 2026

1 min read

New Document Issue – Colombia Passport

Colombia is scheduled to introduce a redesigned passport on 1 April 2026, as part of a broader national-security and ‘technological sovereignty’ initiative.

New Document Issues

Francis Tuffy

23 March 2026

2 min read

Rwanda Issues Tender For ID System

Rwanda’s Information Society Authority (RISA) has launched a procurement for a ‘Single Digital ID Card Printing and Personalisation System and related consumables’ under the Rwanda Digital Acceleration Project (RDAP). Bids are due 30 April 2026, using a two-envelope procedure (technical and financial submissions) under an international competitive process.

ID Cards

Francis Tuffy

16 March 2026

2 min read

Final Call for Papers – Optical & Digital Document Security (ODDS) 2027

The technical committee for ODDS 2027 (25–27 January 2027, Berlin) is issuing a final reminder for technical paper submissions; deadline 27 March 2026. The response so far has been strong with many high-quality abstracts already submitted.

Events

Francis Tuffy

9 March 2026

2 min read

epicenter.works Proposes Amendments to the EUDI Wallet

A new paper from digital rights group epicenter.works takes an engineering-centred look at the European Commission’s draft eIDAS implementing acts for the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet . Rather than debating the policy goals, it focuses on whether the technical rules will actually let wallets enforce privacy and security in real time—when a user is about to share data. The proposed amendments cover three areas: relying-party registration, electronic attestations of attributes (EAAs), and the technical specifications intended to make the ecosystem interoperable.

Digital Identity

Francis Tuffy

2 March 2026

4 min read

Editorial – Is Big Tech Getting a Free Ride from Physical ID?

Over the past few years, debates around civil identity have regularly predicted the demise of physical documents and their inevitable replacement by the massive investment of tech giants in digital, and then virtual ID. I think something else is going on.

Editorial

Francis Tuffy

2 March 2026

3 min read

Update on US Transport Security

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has begun 2026 by pushing further into automated biometric identity verification – while its trusted traveller programme, Global Entry, has been temporarily suspended amid the latest US partial government shutdown.

News

Francis Tuffy

2 March 2026

7 min read

EMEA Celebrates Outstanding Design and Innovation in Identity Documents

The annual Regional Banknote and ID Document of the Year Awards, a highlight of the High Security Printing™ EMEA conference, took place in Rabat, Morocco on 10 February 2026. The event brought together government ministries, national identity authorities and technology providers from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa to recognise outstanding achievements in design, security and technology innovation in identity documents.

Free Free

Francis Tuffy

2 March 2026

8 min read

Fernando Velasco Aguirre and his Vision for Identity in El Salvador

During the annual CLARCIEV meeting, held in October 2025 in San Salvador, ID & Secure Document News™ sat down with Fernando Velasco Aguirre, President and National Registrar of the Registro Nacional de Personas Naturales (RNPN) of El Salvador, to learn more about his vision for identity in the country as well as the region as a whole. Among other achievements, Mr Velasco led and implemented the current design of the Salvadoran identity card (Documento Único de Identidad – DUI), both within El Salvador and abroad.

Interviews

Francis Tuffy

2 March 2026

5 min read

News In Brief

Nigeria’s Ministry of Interior has outlined a significant expansion of cooperation with the European Union (EU) on border management and migration governance following high-level talks in Abuja on 4 February 2026.

News

Francis Tuffy

2 March 2026

1 min read

Smart ID Card With Khoi-San Traditional Name

S. Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has issued its first electronic ID card carrying a Khoi-San traditional name that uses the click character ‘!’. The card was handed to Stellenbosch student !Khūboab Oedasoua Lawrence, after his family spent 18 years trying to obtain documents that reflected the correct spelling of his name.

ID Cards

Francis Tuffy

2 March 2026

2 min read

New Document Issue – Argentina

On 30 January, Argentina announced the issuance of a new passport and identity card, introducing updated security architecture and materials.

New Document Issues

Francis Tuffy

23 Feb. 2026

1 min read

VIP Passport Data Exposed After High-Profile Finance Conference

A misconfigured cloud storage environment linked to Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) left scans of 700 passports and state ID cards belonging to high-profile delegates publicly accessible after the December 2025 event. The platform, created for event registration and VIP accreditation, was not protected by authentication and was indexable using standard search techniques.

Cybersecurity

Francis Tuffy

9 Feb. 2026

2 min read

Nigeria, EU Deepen Border and Migration Partnership

Nigeria Ministry of Interior has outlined a significant expansion of cooperation with the European Union (EU) on border management and migration governance following high-level talks in Abuja on 4 February 2026.

Technology

Francis Tuffy

3 Feb. 2026

1 min read

Thales Partners With Nebraska on ID System

Thales has been selected by Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to deliver new state identification cards and driving licences, alongside a wider set of enrolment and issuance capabilities. The programme will upgrade both document security and operational workflow across DMV locations.

Company

Francis Tuffy

30 Jan. 2026

5 min read

Editor’s Predictions for the Year Ahead

This time last year I predicted that 2025 would bring an acquisition wave reshaping the industry, and 2026 is now showing the effect of this.

Editorial Free Free

Francis Tuffy

30 Jan. 2026

1 min read

Belize Receives Funding Under New Biometric Data Sharing Agreement

Belize has received approximately $250,000 in biometric equipment from the US under a new Biometric Data Sharing Partnership (BDSP) with the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The package includes fingerprint-based enrolment systems and document readers at Belize’s international airport and major land border crossings, enabling officers to capture biometric identifiers and query DHS identity databases in real time.

News

Latest News

HSP EMEA Makes Its African Debut with a Record Audience

There is No Seamless Travel When You Have to Evacuate – Editorial

Closing the Identity Gap: Modernising the Driving Licence Lifecycle Through a Practical, Integrated Approach

Face to Face with Clive Vacher, CEO De La Rue

New Document Issue – Colombia Passport

Rwanda Issues Tender For ID System

Final Call for Papers – Optical & Digital Document Security (ODDS) 2027

epicenter.works Proposes Amendments to the EUDI Wallet

Editorial – Is Big Tech Getting a Free Ride from Physical ID?

Update on US Transport Security

EMEA Celebrates Outstanding Design and Innovation in Identity Documents

Fernando Velasco Aguirre and his Vision for Identity in El Salvador

News In Brief

Smart ID Card With Khoi-San Traditional Name

New Document Issue – Argentina

VIP Passport Data Exposed After High-Profile Finance Conference

Nigeria, EU Deepen Border and Migration Partnership

Thales Partners With Nebraska on ID System

Editor’s Predictions for the Year Ahead

Belize Receives Funding Under New Biometric Data Sharing Agreement

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