Customizable polycarbonate page
The main innovation of this new passport is the use of a polycarbonate page for customizable elements. Popular for its strength and ability to accommodate many security features to combat counterfeiting, polycarbonate is already widely used for card-sized ID documents. In recent years, it has also become a standard for the customizable page in passports.
All security elements have been thoroughly reviewed, both in terms of printing and physical elements, including the secure hinge between the booklet and the polycarbonate page. The result is a fully updated version produced by Thales that offers the highest level of protection available today. The variable data includes a security function developed and registered jointly by IAI, the supplier of the personalization machine, and Zetes. This technology allows the reproduction of the document holder’s photo by combining a perforation technique with laser printing. Currently it is only used for the Belgian eID. Its use for passports is therefore a first and remains a Belgian exclusivity.
BD in the spotlight
The choice of the Belgian authorities for the visual of the interior pages, intended for visas and entry/exit stamps, makes the new passport quite special. They stage comic book heroes, the 9th art being intimately linked to the culture of the country. In addition, each image evokes the journey.