News | ID & Secure Document 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

Francis Tuffy

30 Jan. 2026

4 min read

News in Brief

Brunei’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) and Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC) have introduced Brunei Identity Digital (BruneiID), a national digital identity designed to provide single-login access to selected government digital services.

News

Francis Tuffy

30 Jan. 2026

5 min read

On the Record with TOPPAN Security’s Innovation and R&D Director

Alice Vermeulin is Director of Innovation and R&D at TOPPAN Security, where she leads the development of next-generation secure credential technologies. With an engineering background in the graphic industries and experience spanning Europe and North America, she specialises in security solutions for identity and payment systems, covering product development roadmaps, card and passport manufacturing processes, qualification testing and standards, and intellectual property strategy.

Interviews

Francis Tuffy

30 Jan. 2026

2 min read

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

ODDS 2027 (25-27 January, Berlin) invites original research and technical solutions across optical features, materials, biometrics, cryptography, machine-readable data, and integrated systems that secure government-issued documents and identities. As the definitive forum for unveiling new breakthroughs, ODDS brings together industry, academia, and government to advance security in both physical and digital domains.

Events

Francis Tuffy

30 Jan. 2026

2 min read

Monetising Identity Exceptions to REAL ID

From 1 February 2026, US domestic air passengers who arrive at airport security without a REAL ID-compliant licence or other accepted identification will be routed into ‘TSA ConfirmID’, an alternative identity-verification process carrying a $45 fee.

News

Francis Tuffy

30 Jan. 2026

3 min read

What Makes Holography WOW in ID and Travel Documents?

As part of a research initiative led by Reconnaissance International, a recent industry survey set out to define the elusive ‘WOW factor’ in holographic security features.

Studies, Reports

Francis Tuffy

30 Jan. 2026

3 min read

Update on UK Plans for Digital ID

The UK government announced a new national digital ID scheme in September 2025, framed as a way to modernise access to public services and tighten right-to-work controls. Since then, policy and delivery plans have shifted several times. Now, we take a further look at changes in governance, scope and possible expansion of the scheme.

Technical Features

Francis Tuffy

30 Jan. 2026

2 min read

De La Rue – CBN Joint Venture Targets UK Passport Manufacture

De La Rue has entered into a strategic joint venture with Canadian Bank Note (CBN) to bid for the next generation of British passports, with the aim of returning booklet manufacture to the UK after roughly a decade of production in Poland under Thales DIS (formerly Gemalto). Personalisation of British passports is already carried out in the UK.

Company

Francis Tuffy

30 Jan. 2026

2 min read

Latin America Moves Closer to Digital Identity Interoperability

Latin America’s long-standing ambition to enable cross-border use of national digital identities is entering a more concrete phase.

News

Francis Tuffy

26 Jan. 2026

1 min read

The Gambia Chooses Supplier for National ID Infrastructure Upgrade

The Government of The Gambia has signed a build -operate–transfer (BOT) contract with Margins ID Systems Applications Ltd (MIDSA), a subsidiary of Ghana’s Margins ID Group, to modernise the country’s identity infrastructure and produce new national identity cards.

ID Cards

Francis Tuffy

12 Jan. 2026

2 min read

Mexico Moves Toward Nationwide Biometric CURP

Mexico is preparing to scale up a biometric version of its Unique Population Registry Code (CURP), adding biometric identifiers to a credential that already underpins most administrative processes in the country. The updated CURP keeps the familiar 18-character code but incorporates fingerprints, a facial photograph, an iris scan and an electronic signature to support stronger identity verification.

Biometrics

Latest News

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

News in Brief

On the Record with TOPPAN Security’s Innovation and R&D Director

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

Monetising Identity Exceptions to REAL ID

What Makes Holography WOW in ID and Travel Documents?

Update on UK Plans for Digital ID

De La Rue – CBN Joint Venture Targets UK Passport Manufacture

Latin America Moves Closer to Digital Identity Interoperability

The Gambia Chooses Supplier for National ID Infrastructure Upgrade

Mexico Moves Toward Nationwide Biometric CURP

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