Airport Customs

chef · 7th November 2008, 11:15

roughly in line with the national identity card debate, has anyone yet registered for either the optical scanner recognition or have a new passport with the chip in to get through airport customs queues quicker?

if, so, what's involved in registering for this?

and surely isnt this data exactly the type of stuff they were thinking of putting on the identity cards?

Moscow Mule · 7th November 2008, 11:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by chef

roughly in line with the national identity card debate, has anyone yet registered for either the optical scanner recognition or have a new passport with the chip in to get through airport customs queues quicker?

if, so, what's involved in registering for this?

and surely isnt this data exactly the type of stuff they were thinking of putting on the identity cards?

Biometrics held on a chip are required for entry into the US for all passports issued after October this year.

The IRIS system is simply a faster way to get through the border - your IRIS pattern is linked to your passport (which is scanned when you enter the country anyway) so I'm not against it.

chef · 7th November 2008, 11:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moscow Mule

Biometrics held on a chip are required for entry into the US for all passports issued after October this year.

The IRIS system is simply a faster way to get through the border - your IRIS pattern is linked to your passport (which is scanned when you enter the country anyway) so I'm not against it.

ok so what biometric data is required for the passport?

answer:
"What information is stored on the chip?

The chip stores the passport holder's photo and the personal details printed on page 31 of the passport.
Can I see what is on the chip?

IPS Regional Offices in Belfast, Glasgow, Durham, Liverpool, Peterborough, London and Newport are now equipped with Biometric Passport Readers. The Reader enables holders of a British biometric passport to view their personal information stored within the chip embedded in the passport. The information viewed is the same as the information displayed on the bio data page of the passport.

This is a free self service facility within the public area of each IPS office."

and

how do you go about registering for IRIS? answer

in fact, i'll just google it

chef · 7th November 2008, 11:34

jesus i've just looked and it's now £72 to renew a standard passport !!!

WTF

http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/fees.asp

expat · 7th November 2008, 11:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moscow Mule

Biometrics held on a chip are required for entry into the US for all passports issued after October this year.

The IRIS system is simply a faster way to get through the border - your IRIS pattern is linked to your passport (which is scanned when you enter the country anyway) so I'm not against it.

Your passport isn't scanned if you enter by IRIS. It is often not working though, at least at LHR2. I gather it has been privatised and the company that is paid to run it has staff problems.

In any case it takes quite a while to scan, if there are 5 people in front of you compared to 40 in the passport queue with 4 officers on EU passports, the queue is faster.

In Frankfurt it does scan your passport first, this is faster, possibly because it then only has to validate that ID, not search for it. In Frankfurt they have 4 readers against Heathrow's 1.

In Amsterdam you stick a chip card in for ID, which the scan verifies. This scheme costs 99€/year (or did last year) but this is well worth it in terms of time saved, especially since if you are not recognised by the scanner, you go to the front of the manual queue, not the back as in the other airports.

cailin maith · 7th November 2008, 11:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by chef

jesus i've just looked and it's now £72 to renew a standard passport !!!

WTF

http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/fees.asp

Yeah - robbing gits... Grrrr!

ace00 · 7th November 2008, 12:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by chef

jesus i've just looked and it's now £72 to renew a standard passport !!!

WTF

http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/fees.asp

Cheap at twice the price to extend your ID card free grace period by 10 years. IMO.
My PP has an antenna and I guess a little chip somewhere, but you still queue.

Moscow Mule · 7th November 2008, 12:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by expat

Your passport isn't scanned if you enter by IRIS. It is often not working though, at least at LHR2. I gather it has been privatised and the company that is paid to run it has staff problems.

.

Yeah, I know. IRIS can be a bit of a bunfight at LHR1, but you're right, it's often faster to go through the gate with the smiling UKBA chap/ess.

And, a PPI going tits because of funding issues? What a surprise...

Pondlife · 7th November 2008, 12:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by expat

In Amsterdam you stick a chip card in for ID, which the scan verifies. This scheme costs 99€/year (or did last year) but this is well worth it in terms of time saved, especially since if you are not recognised by the scanner, you go to the front of the manual queue, not the back as in the other airports.

Agreed. Best airport purchase I've made this (and last) year.

TykeMerc · 7th November 2008, 12:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by ace00

Cheap at twice the price to extend your ID card free grace period by 10 years. IMO.
My PP has an antenna and I guess a little chip somewhere, but you still queue.

As does mine, this summer I had to queue for over 1.5 hours to get past passport control at Liverpool airport with my new passport, the scan of the passport was no faster than it was with my old one and no scan.