Apolycarbonate e-passport is a type of travel document that features abiometric data page made frompolycarbonate, a durablethermoplastic material, rather than a traditionalpaper orlaminated paper sheet. Polycarbonate passports are designed to improve documentdurability,security, and resistance to tampering, by laser-engraving information into the inner layers of the plastic, which significantly enhances protection againstcounterfeiting and ensures greater long-term reliability compared to traditional laminated pages.[1][2][3]
Finland was the first country to introduce a passport with a polycarbonate data page in 1997.[4] 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.[5]
As of 2019, over 40 countries have transitioned from laminated paper biometric data pages to polycarbonate alternatives in their passports.[6]
^NEWS GOV-MO: 第三代澳門特區旅行證件 智•慧齊升 [The Third Generation of Macao SAR Travel Documents: Smarter and More Intelligent].NEWS GOV-MO (in Chinese (Macau)). Gabinete de Comunicação Social do Governo da RAEM. Retrieved19 July 2025.
^"Evolution of Passports".ICA. Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA).2006: Singapore's biometric passport (BioPass) was officially launched. The BioPass contained the holder's unique biometric identities such as fingerprint data, facial image and passport details on a contactless chip. With the personal particulars digitally stored in the chip embedded in a polycarbonate data-page, the BioPass complied with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation for electronic machine-readable travel documents.
Australia: Issued since September 2022.[7]
Brunei: Issued since 2008.[8]
Cambodia: Issued since 2014.[9]
Canada: Introduced in May 2023.[10]
Colombia: Issued since September 2010.[11]
East Timor: Issued since 2017.[12]
Hong Kong: Issued since 2007.[13][14]
India: Issued since 2025.[citation needed]
Indonesia: Issued since 2023.[15]
Japan: Issued since March 2025.[16]
Jordan: Issued since 2025.[17]
Macau: Issued since 2009.[18]
Malaysia: Issued since 2013.[19]
New Zealand: Issued since 2009.[20]
Singapore: Issued since 2006.[21]
South Africa: Issued since 8 April 2009.[22]
South Korea: Issued since 2021.[23]
Thailand: Issued since 2020.[24]
United States: Issued since 2021.[25]
Ukraine: Issued since 2015.[26]
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