Polycarbonate e-passport
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| image2 = Mustermann Reisepass 2017.jpg
| caption2 = German passport
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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.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-23 |title=Understanding the Key Differences Between Polycarbonate E-Passports and Regular E-Passports |url=https://azraid.com/understanding-the-key-differences-between-polycarbonate-e-passports-and-regular-e-passports/ |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=Indonesia Consultant Agency |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Information about the Next Generation U.S. Passport |url=https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/passport-help/next-generation-passport.html |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=travel.state.gov |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=KINEGRAM for passport protection and passport authentication |url=https://www.kinegram.com/passports |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=www.kinegram.com}}
Finland was the first country to introduce a passport with a polycarbonate data page in 1997.{{Cite web |date=Jan 22, 2016 |title=Finland Selects Gemalto for Its New Secure Electronic Passport and eID |url=https://www.printedelectronicsnow.com/contents/view_breaking-news/2016-01-22/finland-selects-gemalto-for-its-new-secure-electronic-passport-and-eid/ |website=printed electronics now}} 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.{{Cite web |title=The Paper vs Polycarbonate Passport Debate An ITW Security Division White Paper – March 2017 |url=https://www.itwsf.com/Portals/0/Documents/White-Papers/The%20Paper%20vs%20Polycarbonate%20Passport%20Debate.pdf |website=www.itwsf.com}}
As of 2019, over 40 countries have transitioned from laminated paper biometric data pages to polycarbonate alternatives in their passports.{{Cite web |last=Jacquot |first=Frederic |date=October 3, 2019 |title=How Polycarbonate is Creating More Secure Passport Datapages |url=https://blog.hidglobal.com/how-polycarbonate-creating-more-secure-passport-datapages |website=HID}}