The Kingdom of Bahrain will implement a new passport solution. The solution will enable the Gulf nation to move from a machine-readable passport (MRP) to an electronic passport. 

The ePassport will store biometric and biographic data of Bahraini citizens in the chip. With this deployment, Bahrain will be able to join the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Public Key Directory (PKD) group of 180 countries that can access and exchange the passport data.

ICAO PKD countries are able to share cryptographic keys that allow them to access and read the data in the chip. The ePassport will facilitate visa applications for Bahraini travelers, simplify the immigration process and enable the use of automated border control systems, such as eGates, making the travel experience easier and more secure. 

The new Bahraini ePassport has been designed to have the highest level of security including the color portrait of the passport holder and HID’s unique security feature Mirage. The feature protects the structure of the document and the holder’s portrait, helping to prevent counterfeiting and fraudulent alteration.