Maltese citizens wanting a new ePassport will now have to provide their fingerprints, according to an announcement by Malta’s Ministry for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications.

 

Two fingerprints will be taken for the ePassport which is being rolled out to meet European Union regulation (EC2252/2004) that is designed to enhance passport security. Children under 12 years and some people with certain medical conditions are excluded from the process. Once the ePassport expires, fingerprints are retained in the system for six months, and then automatically deleted.