The United Kingdom will issue its first electronic passport this week, the UK Home Office says. The UK Passport Service expects to issue about 7 million passports this year, the Home Office previously told Card Technology. In addition to the traditional data page in a passport, the electronic version contains a contactless smart card chip that stores the same information as the data page along with a digitized representation of the passport holder’s facial image. The new version of the passports, which also incorporate security features to indicate tampering and prevent forging, will gradually be issued through the spring and summer, the Passport Service says, with all new passports carrying a chip by August.

The UK and the 24 other members of the European Union are all obligated to begin issuing e-passports by August. E-passports are also getting a push from a U.S. government mandate that the 27 nations in its Visa Waiver program adopt the travel documents by October. Overall, an estimated 40 nations are moving to chip-based passports.

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