All new, full UK passports are biometric. This means that they carry biological information about a person that links them to their passport.

You will be issued with a biometric passport when you apply for your first UK passport or to renew your passport.

Your passport will use 'facial biometrics'. You must ensure that the passport photographs you provide meet the required standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Biometric UK passports are an important counter-fraud measure introduced by the Identity and Passport Service (IPS).

Read rules for passport photos and download the IPS Guide to taking a good photo for your passport

Why Biometrics?

The increasing threat of identity fraud means we must strengthen security features in passports.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which sets international standards, chose facial recognition as the primary biometric.

The use of biometric information to link a person to a passport can help to counter identity fraud.

In practice, biometric verification can be used at border controls and to verify the image on a passport renewal application against images held on record.

Biometric information is also used to:

• allow automated immigration checks in the future
• ensure that British citizens can continue to benefit from visa-free travel to the USA
• avoid disadvantaging British passport holders as other countries switch to biometric passports.

How do facial biometrics work?

Facial recognition maps various features on the face - for example, the distances between eyes, nose, mouth and ears.

The measurements are digitally coded and this can then be used for comparison and verification purposes.

Biometric technology is perfectly safe as facial biometrics can be taken from a good quality passport photograph.