How do I know if my passport is biometric?
Verified 12 December 2022 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister), Ministry of the Interior
Your passport has been lost or stolen? Before applying for renewal, it is important to know whether the passport was biometric. If this is the case, you will not need to provide the documents related to your marital status and nationality again.
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Your passport was issued after June 2009
Any passport issued since 29 June 2009 is a biometric passport.

On the cover of a biometric passport, the word passport is underlined.
It was issued between April 2006 and June 2009
Any passport issued since June 29, 2009 is a biometric passport.
Type of passport | Secured Title? | Description | Period of release (mainland) |
---|---|---|---|
Biometric passport | YES | On the cover, the word passport underlined Below the word passport is a secure symbol (circle inside a rectangle) Photo reproduced 2 times on the same page | First release: 31 October 2008 (by departments) General: 29 June 2009 |
Electronic passport | YES | On the cover, the word passport is not underlined. Below the word passport is a secure symbol (circle inside a rectangle) Photo reproduced 2 times on the same page | Last release: June 2009 |
Delphine passport (optical read) | NO | On the cover, writing words European Union Picture page: in landscape mode. 36 numbered pages | Last release: April 2006 |
It was issued before April 2006
There are 3 possible situations:
Type of passport | Secured Title? | Description | Period of release (mainland) |
---|---|---|---|
Electronic passport | YES | On the cover, the word passport is not underlined. Below the word passport is a secure symbol (circle inside a rectangle) Photo reproduced 2 times on the same page | Last release: June 2009 |
Delphine Optical Read Passport | NO | On the cover, writing words European Union Picture page: in landscape mode. 36 numbered pages | Last release: April 2006 |
Old Model | NO | On the cover, writing words European Community Picture page: in portrait mode. | Last entry into service: end of 2002 |