Polycarbonate e-passport

A polycarbonate e-passport is a type of travel document that features a biometric data page made from polycarbonate, a durable plastic material, rather than a laminated paper sheet. This construction offers enhanced protection for the passport’s electronic components and personal data. By laser-engraving information into the inner layers of the plastic, polycarbonate e-passports significantly improve resistance to counterfeiting and offer greater durability and reliability compared to traditional laminated pages.

Finland was the first country to introduce a passport with a polycarbonate data page in 1997. Sweden followed shortly after, becoming the first to implement a biometric polycarbonate data page during the early adoption of e-passports. Since then, the design has gradually been adopted around the world.

As of 2019, over 40 countries have transitioned from laminated paper biometric data pages to polycarbonate alternatives in their passports.