President Luis Abinader shared details of the electronic passports that will be available for Dominican citizens as of August 2025. The country is transitioning to the electronic passports that are aligned with international standards and feature advanced security measures to prevent fraud and identity theft. The country joins around 140 nations that have adopted this technology, and the implementation is supported by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
It has been a slow winding road. The present administration’s first two appointees to the Passports Agency were criticized for alleged corruption. The agency, nevertheless, is now forging ahead taking giant steps after President Abinader appointed a national quality control expert, Lorenzo David Ramirez Uribe.
President Luis Abinader and the director of the Passports Agency, Lorenzo David Ramirez Uribe announced the electronic passports will be available as of August 2025 during the 20 January 2025 press conference. The electronic passports will be available for all passport holders once these expire.
President Abinader said that the electronic passport is a requirement made by the European Union for allowing Schengen-less travel to European countries. The talks for enabling Dominicans to travel to Europe without visas are ongoing and could advance once the passport is in effect. Visa less travel to Europe would be a boom for travel to Europe, as has occurred with Colombia in South America.
Ramirez Uribe said that in 2024, a record-breaking 832,124 passports were issued, or 8% of the country’s population. President Abinader said that passport demand is up 80.7% compared to 2019, the pre-Covid year. The government expects to issue around one million new or renewed passports in 2025.
The process of selecting a vendor for the electronic passport system was highly transparent, involving a seven-member oversight committee. The winning bid was awarded to the Franco-American Consortium EMT, a company with a proven track record in numerous countries. President Abinader explained that the company gets paid per issued passport. This means the government did not have to make a major advance payment.
The new electronic passports will contain embedded chips storing biometric data including fingerprints, photographs, and personal information. Security features will also include ultraviolet-light watermarks and protective covers for the electronic chips.
The electronic passport benefits include enhanced protection against document forgery, potential expedited border crossings, and the possible visa-free access to certain countries for Dominican citizens. As reported, the e-passports will be compatible with the new emerging digital wallet systems, allowing for future integration with mobile identification platforms.
The government announced that future plans include courier delivery of the electronic passports and expanded passport service centers, through GOV.do offices in San Cristobal, Santo Domingo Norte and Santiago.
Read more in Spanish:
La Semanal 20 January 2025
Hoy
El Caribe
22 January 2025