The first batch of new electronic passport booklets has arrived in the Dominican Republic for functionality testing. The Passports Agency announced the arrival, stating the tests are designed to ensure the new documents meet the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
If all goes well, the passport will become available for renewals and new passports in 2026. The passports office has not announced dates for the issuing of the new passports. In the past, it has been said that the new passport would first be issued to those with expired passports.
The Dominican government has also announced the issuing of new ID cards with advanced technology under the Central Electoral Board (JCE).
The new passport will include an embedded microchip that stores the holder’s demographic information, photo, encrypted digital signature, and biometric data like fingerprints and facial features. This technology will allow for swift and efficient identity authentication.
The new passport will be valid for 5 to 10 years and will be made from high-quality materials, including a polycarbonate data page similar to those used in passports from countries like Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
In addition, the new design will feature a range of advanced security measures to prevent counterfeiting, including:
Holograms and watermarks: These are visible security features that are difficult to replicate.
Optically variable ink (OVI): This ink changes color when viewed from different angles.
Visible and invisible security features: These react to ultraviolet and infrared light, making them even harder to forge.
According to Lorenzo Ramírez Uribe, the director of the Passports Agency, the new electronic passport will not only enhance the national security of the Dominican Republic by making it easier to detect identity fraud, but it will also align the country with international standards.
The passports contractor is Emit, a French-American consortium made up by the companies (Entrust – USA), Midas (Dominican Republic – US-Dominican citizens Daniel Ureña and Franklin Ureña) and Thales (France).
Midas Dominicana had worked with the technological transformation at the Ministry of Foreign Relations, including the installation of its datacenter and the automating of their administrative and consular procedures.
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Revista Contacto
18 September 2025