Revamped Austrian Passports Making Their Way
In a significant development, Austria has unveiled its new passport design, marking a complete overhaul of the passport first introduced in 2006. The new design, revealed on 24 November 2023, incorporates elements inspired by Austrian culture and nature, making it a unique blend of security and aesthetics.
The new passport was developed with the help of an expert team that included members from the Ministry of the Interior, the Federal Criminal Office, the police, and a dedicated website. The team's focus was on creating a passport that is not only up-to-date and highly secure but also aesthetically pleasing.
Helmut Lackner, a member of the expert team, stated, "Our goal was to create a passport that reflects Austrian history, music, local rivers and waters, and unique flora, while ensuring the highest levels of security."
The cover of the new passport features a redesign and contains the word "Austria" in tactile Braille for people with visual impairments. Inside, modern high-tech security elements such as a laser image perforation feature and a laser kipp image have been included.
The data page of the new passport is made entirely of polycarbonate, providing the highest protection against manipulation and forgery. The passport also includes advanced biometric security features aligned with modern standards for electronic passports.
These security features include an embedded electronic microprocessor chip that stores biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images, Active Authentication (AA) to prevent cloning of passport chips, Extended Access Control (EAC) for strong encryption, and Supplemental Access Control (SAC), a security upgrade addressing weaknesses in earlier Basic Access Control (BAC) protocols. The passport also features chip shielding to prevent unauthorized wireless reading when closed.
The development of the new passport involved testing the document before starting production. The intensive cooperation between the Ministry of the Interior, the Federal Criminal Office, the police directorates of Lower Austria and Burgenland, and the website lasted for over three years.
The new Austrian passport service is accessible in around 900 municipalities and district administrative authorities throughout Austria, ensuring a citizen-friendly service. Citizens can apply for the new passport starting from 1 December 2023.
The CHECK-AT app, available for free, allows citizens to verify selected security features of the new Austrian passport in just a few seconds. The QR code from the Austrian ID card is now also present in the new passport, aiding in the assessment of whether a genuine document is present.
The CHECK-AT service developed by the dedicated website on behalf of the BMI supports easy and secure verification of the new Austrian passport. The close collaboration with the Federal Criminal Office and regional authorities ensured the integration of the latest security features with practical inputs from domestic law enforcement and regional administrative bodies.
With these enhancements, the new Austrian passport is among the safest in the world, providing both security and a nod to Austria's rich cultural heritage.
[1] For more information about the guidelines followed in the development of the new Austrian passport, please refer to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the German Federal Office for Information Security.
The new Austrian passport was developed with a focus on integrating advanced technology, such as embedded electronic microprocessors and modern high-tech security elements, to ensure high levels of security. The development process involved the use of tools like Braille on the cover for the visually impaired and the CHECK-AT app for quick and secure verification.
