By Steve Ranger
Friday, November 18 2005 10:52 AM
URL: http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/security/0,39044215,39291780,00.htm

The price of a U.K. passport is to rocket 18 percent because of the cost of new security measures including biometrics.

From December the price of a standard 10-year adult passport will jump £9 (US$15.45) to £51 (US$87.57). The government said the price hike reflects the cost of implementing anti-fraud measures to combat the rapidly growing threat of passport fraud and forgery.

Anti-fraud features include the gradual introduction of new biometric 'ePassports' from February 2006, which will contain a scan of the holder's facial features embedded in a chip.

The UK Passport Service said it will manage the volume of biometric ePassports issued during the anticipated six-month rollout period. Biometric and traditional passports will be identically priced during that period but that will cease when biometric passports are fully rolled out and old-style passport production stops.

Other features include enhanced background checks on applicants and face-to-face interviews for first-time adult applicants from October 2006.

This fee increase will fund the first phase of implementation of these key measures, with a further fee review taking place next year.

Passport fees last rose in 2003 to fund the introduction of secure delivery of passports and the launch of a database of lost and stolen passports.

Home Office minister Andy Burnham said in a statement: "We are determined to ensure the British passport remains one of the most secure in the world, and we are one of over 40 countries preparing to issue new biometric ePassports."

Steve Ranger of Silicon.com reported from London.