News | ID & Secure Document News

Jim Marsh

3 Sept. 2025

3 min read

The Future of Travel Technology: The Evolution of ePassports

Travel technology is advancing rapidly, with companies like Veridos complementing secure travel documents with digital solutions to streamline border crossings. ‘Virtual’ ePassports – digital credentials stored on secure mobile platforms – are emerging as a digital complement to traditional physical passports, rather than a replacement. While full replacement has not yet been realised or intended, these digital alternatives offer users more freedom of choice and enable identity verification, biometric integration, and global interoperability without physical booklets, enhancing travel efficiency and security for a connected world.

Passports

Francis Tuffy

3 Sept. 2025

2 min read

Round-Up of National eID Schemes

The momentum behind national electronic identity (eID) programmes continues with countries across Africa, Central America, Southeast Asia, and Europe moving ahead at different stages of implementation.

ID Cards

Francis Tuffy

3 Sept. 2025

1 min read

New Document Issue

On 18 August 2025, the Texas Department of Public Safety initiated issuance of redesigned driving licences and ID cards, incorporating several high security features aimed at enhancing counterfeit resistance and reinforcing public safety.

New Document Issues

Francis Tuffy

3 Sept. 2025

5 min read

News in Brief

Mexico has formally enacted legislation making the biometric-based Unique Population Registry Code (Clave Única de Registro de Población – CURP) mandatory for all citizens, transforming what was once an optional identifier into the country’s central digital identity instrument.

News

Francis Tuffy

3 Sept. 2025

2 min read

TOPPAN Security Wins Design Award

Ethiopia’s new ePassport, designed and manufactured by TOPPAN Security, has been awarded the 2025 Red Dot Award in the Brands & Communication Design category, a prestigious international competition that honours outstanding achievements in communication design and enables winners to use the Red Dot quality label in their communications.

Free Free

Francis Tuffy

1 Sept. 2025

2 min read

IDEMIA and Sopra Steria Deliver eu-LISA’s sBMS

In September 2020, ID & Secure Document News™ reported on the award of the contract for the European Union’s Shared Biometric Matching System (sBMS) to the consortium of IDEMIA and Sopra Steria. At that time, the project was positioned as a cornerstone of the EU’s interoperability framework, designed to provide centralised biometric services across multiple Justice and Home Affairs systems; including the Visa Information System (VIS), the Schengen Information System (SIS) and the then-upcoming Entry/Exit System (EES).

Company

Francis Tuffy

3 Aug. 2025

2 min read

Veridos Signs Contract for Nepal’s Biometric Passports

Veridos GmbH has officially signed a contract with Nepal’s Department of Passports (DoP) for the production of biometric passports, following an international competitive tendering process. The agreement, announced at the end of July, covers Package 2 of the project—comprising the supply of secure ePassport booklets, personalisation infrastructure, quality control systems, and packaging.

Company Passports

Francis Tuffy

27 July 2025

2 min read

Oldest Horse Racecourse in the World Adopts Digital Ticketing

Chester Racecourse, acknowledged by Guinness World Records as the oldest operational racecourse in the world, has implemented a digital ticketing system using HID’s Event Management Platform (EMP).

Biometrics

Francis Tuffy

21 July 2025

2 min read

New Document Issue – Kenya ePassport

Kenya has launched its next-generation electronic passport, developed in partnership with Veridos, featuring enhanced security architecture and a design framework aligned with national representation.

New Document Issues

Francis Tuffy

21 July 2025

5 min read

On the Record: Ethiopia’s Head of Immigration and Citizenship Services

Driving digital transformation, Ms Selamawit Dawit has played a pivotal role in elevating Ethiopia’s global presence and modernising its public services. Now serving as Director General of Ethiopia’s Immigration and Citizenship Services (ICS), she brings a wealth of experience from diplomacy, public administration, and policy leadership, having previously served as Director General of the Diaspora Agency and State Minister of Tourism.

Interviews

Francis Tuffy

21 July 2025

6 min read

ID4AFRICA 2025 – From Africa, For Africa, In Africa

‘This is the dawn of the second decade in our pursuit of Identity for All in Africa,’ declared Dr Joseph Atick, Executive Chairman of ID4Africa, in his opening address at the Movement’s 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Event Review Free Free

Francis Tuffy

21 July 2025

3 min read

US Homeland Security Resurrects Border Biometric Rule

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reintroduced a sweeping biometric data collection rule aimed at expanding surveillance across all national borders. Originally drafted under the first Trump administration, the revised regulation mandates facial recognition scans and other biometric captures from virtually all non-US citizens upon entry and exit – including children.

Government

Francis Tuffy

21 July 2025

5 min read

News in Brief

At the High Security Printing™ (HSP) Latin America conference (9-11 June 2025), an exclusive physical ‘event passport’ was introduced for participants.

News

Andreas Schilling

21 July 2025

3 min read

The Ongoing Value of Physical Identity Documents in the Digital Age

Digital transformation affects all areas of life, including identity documents. The debate as to whether physical ID documents should be phased out in favour of fully digital solutions is still continuing, but has recently lost some of its verve, and for good reason. From a security perspective, and from a merely practical viewpoint, for many use cases, physical identity documents remain irreplaceable. They are, and will continue to be, the anchor of trust for establishing a person’s identity.

Technical Features

Francis Tuffy

21 July 2025

2 min read

ODDS 2025 – Programme Confirmed

The programme for the 2025 Optical & Digital Document Security™ (ODDS) conference (15-17 September, Warsaw) has now been finalised, reaffirming its position as the definitive technical forum for physical, digital, and virtual document security. Built by a globally respected technical committee, the agenda spans eight themed sessions and offers a balance of discovery science, applied innovation, and real-life applications.

Event Previews

Francis Tuffy

21 July 2025

2 min read

Public Engagement in the EU Digital Product Passport

While identity documents and secure credentials form the majority of the content in this newsletter, ID & Secure Document News™ also has a remit to cover the use of technology to provide an identity to the products that we consume. As the digital infrastructure of the EU evolves, the Digital Product Passport (DPP) is emerging as a core regulatory instrument for product traceability and lifecycle data.

Technical Features

Francis Tuffy

21 July 2025

4 min read

Editorial: Why is Biometric Testing So Difficult?

I don’t know whether, like me, you saw a latex face mask staring back at you from a display cabinet at Identity Week Europe, Amsterdam? I had to explore further.

Editorial

Francis Tuffy

20 July 2025

2 min read

US mDLs Driving in Both Directions

As the rollout of mobile driving licences (mDLs) gathers momentum across the US, a parallel movement in the opposite direction is questioning the privacy implications of these digital credentials. Spearheaded by the ‘No Phone Home’ campaign, privacy advocates are mounting a challenge to what they see as a creeping erosion of civil liberties.

Driving Licences

Francis Tuffy

14 July 2025

2 min read

Public Engagement in the EU Digital Product Passport

While identity documents and secure credentials form the majority of the content in this newsletter, ID & Secure Document News™ also has a remit to cover the use of technology to provide an identity to the products that we consume. As the digital infrastructure of the EU evolves, the Digital Product Passport (DPP) is emerging as a core regulatory instrument for product traceability and lifecycle data.

Technology

Francis Tuffy

8 July 2025

2 min read

DHS Resurrects Border Biometric Rule

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is making a renewed effort to expand biometric surveillance at national borders, reviving a rule initially proposed under the first Trump administration. The rule mandates the collection of facial images and other biometric identifiers from nearly all non-US citizens entering or exiting the country, including minors.

Digital Identity

Latest News

The Future of Travel Technology: The Evolution of ePassports

Round-Up of National eID Schemes

New Document Issue

News in Brief

TOPPAN Security Wins Design Award

IDEMIA and Sopra Steria Deliver eu-LISA’s sBMS

Veridos Signs Contract for Nepal’s Biometric Passports

Oldest Horse Racecourse in the World Adopts Digital Ticketing

New Document Issue – Kenya ePassport

On the Record: Ethiopia’s Head of Immigration and Citizenship Services

ID4AFRICA 2025 – From Africa, For Africa, In Africa

US Homeland Security Resurrects Border Biometric Rule

News in Brief

The Ongoing Value of Physical Identity Documents in the Digital Age

ODDS 2025 – Programme Confirmed

Public Engagement in the EU Digital Product Passport

Editorial: Why is Biometric Testing So Difficult?

US mDLs Driving in Both Directions

Public Engagement in the EU Digital Product Passport

DHS Resurrects Border Biometric Rule

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