The Hellenic Police (ELAS) launched a tender for the creation of an electronic Information System for Security Documents, which will issue new IDs and to upgrade current passports, driving licenses and other documents, thus implementing an EU decision that was first taken in November 2018.
According to ELAS, the company that will manufacture the new security documents and IDs must already have produced similar documents in another two EU member-states and adhere to the current security standards of both the European Union and the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
The new system will also upgrade travel and other documents issued to foreign nationals in Greece.
The EU's decision to overhaul the security standards of these documents and is due to become an EU directive in the coming days, after which all EU member-states will have 24 months to issue their citizens' documents in line with the new standards.
The new IDs will be similar to a credit card and have shared security features, such as a machine-readable zone for use in airport, port, and railway station scanners and a contactless chip containing biometric data (photo and fingerprints).
In addition to Greek IDs and passports, the system will also be used to issue diplomatic passports, UN travel documents for refugees, UN travel documents for stateless persons, driving licenses, various types residence permits and police IDs.
Greece was one of the last countries in Europe that issued machines without a machine-readable zone and were not in line with ICAO guidelines.
*Source: AMNA
