CELEX ID: 32004R2252

--- ENGLISH ---

Document:
29.12.2004
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
L 385/1
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 2252/2004
of 13 December 2004
on standards for security features and biometrics in passports and travel documents issued by Member States
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 62(2)(a) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission 
(
1
)
,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament 
(
2
)
,
Whereas:
(1)
The European Council of Thessaloniki, on 19 and 20 June 2003, confirmed that a coherent approach is needed in the European Union on biometric identifiers or biometric data for documents for third country nationals, European Union citizens’ passports and information systems (VIS and SIS II).
(2)
Minimum security standards for passports were introduced by a Resolution of the representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, on 17 October 2000 
(
3
)
. It is now appropriate to upgrade this Resolution by a Community measure in order to achieve enhanced harmonised security standards for passports and travel documents to protect against falsification. At the same time biometric identifiers should be integrated in the passport or travel document in order to establish a reliable link between the genuine holder and the document.
(3)
The harmonisation of security features and the integration of biometric identifiers is an important step towards the use of new elements in the perspective of future developments at European level, which render the travel document more secure and establish a more reliable link between the holder and the passport and the travel document as an important contribution to ensuring that it is protected against fraudulent use. The specifications of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and in particular those set out in Document 9303 on machine readable travel documents, should be taken into account.
(4)
This Regulation is limited to the harmonisation of the security features including biometric identifiers for the passports and travel documents of the Member States. The designation of the authorities and bodies authorised to have access to the data contained in the storage medium of documents is a matter of national legislation, subject to any relevant provisions of Community law, European Union law or international agreements.
(5)
This Regulation should lay down only such specifications that are not secret. These specifications need to be supplemented by specifications which may remain secret in order to prevent the risk of counterfeiting and falsifications. Such additional technical specifications should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission 
(
4
)
.
(6)
The Commission should be assisted by the Committee established by Article 6 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 of 29 May 1995 laying down a uniform format for visas 
(
5
)
.
(7)
In order to ensure that the information referred to is not made available to more persons than necessary, it is also essential that each Member State should designate not more than one body having responsibility for producing passports and travel documents, with Member States remaining free to change the body, if need be. For security reasons, each Member State should communicate the name of the competent body to the Commission and the other Member States.
(8)
With regard to the personal data to be processed in the context of passports and travel documents, Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data 
(
6
)
 applies. It should be ensured that no further information shall be stored in the passport unless provided for in this Regulation, its annex or unless it is mentioned in the relevant travel document.
(9)
In accordance with the principle of proportionality, it is necessary and appropriate for the achievement of the basic objective of introducing common security standards and interoperable biometric identifiers to lay down rules for all Member States giving effect to the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 
(
7
)
. This Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve the objectives pursued, in accordance with the third paragraph of Article 5 of the Treaty.
(10)
In accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of the Protocol on the position of Denmark annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Denmark is not taking part in the adoption of this Regulation and is not bound by it or subject to its application. Given that this Regulation builds upon the Schengen 
acquis
 under the provisions of Title IV of Part Three of the Treaty establishing the European Community, Denmark will, in accordance with Article 5 of the said Protocol, decide within a period of six months after the Council has adopted this Regulation whether it will implement it in its national law.
(11)
This Regulation constitutes a development of provisions of the Schengen 
acquis
 in which the United Kingdom does not take part, in accordance with Council Decision 2000/365/EC of 29 May 2000 concerning the request of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to take part in some of the provisions of the Schengen 
acquis
 
(
8
)
. The United Kingdom is therefore not taking part in its adoption and is not bound by it or subject to its application.
(12)
This Regulation constitutes a development of provisions of the Schengen 
acquis
 in which Ireland does not take part, in accordance with Council Decision 2002/192/EC of 28 February 2002 concerning Ireland’s request to take part in some of the provisions of the Schengen 
acquis
 
(
9
)
. Ireland is therefore not taking part in its adoption and is not bound by it or subject to its application.
(13)
As regards Iceland and Norway, this Regulation constitutes a development of provisions of the Schengen 
acquis
 within the meaning of the Agreement concluded by the Council of the European Union and the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway concerning the association of those two States with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen 
acquis
 
(
10
)
 which fall within the area referred to in Article 1(B) of Council Decision 1999/437/EC of 17 May 1999 on certain arrangements for the application of that Agreement 
(
11
)
.
(14)
As regards Switzerland, this Regulation constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen 
acquis
 within the meaning of the Agreement signed between the European Union, the European Community and the Swiss Confederation concerning the association of the Swiss Confederation with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen 
acquis
 
(
12
)
, which fall in the area referred to in Article 1(B) of Decision 1999/437/EC read in conjunction with Article 4(1) of the Council Decisions of 25 October 2004 on the signing on behalf of the European Union, and on the signing on behalf of the European Community, and on the provisional application of certain provisions of that Agreement 
(
13
)
,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
1.   Passports and travel documents issued by Member States shall comply with the minimum security standards set out in the Annex.
2.   Passports and travel documents shall include a storage medium which shall contain a facial image. Member States shall also include fingerprints in interoperable formats. The data shall be secured and the storage medium shall have sufficient capacity and capability to guarantee the integrity, the authenticity and the confidentiality of the data.
3.   This Regulation applies to passports and travel documents issued by Member States. It does not apply to identity cards issued by Member States to their nationals or to temporary passports and travel documents having a validity of 12 months or less.
Article 2
Additional technical specifications for passports and travel documents relating to the following shall be established in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 5(2):
(a)
additional security features and requirements including enhanced anti-forgery, counterfeiting and falsification standards;
(b)
technical specifications for the storage medium of the biometric features and their security, including prevention of unauthorised access;
(c)
requirements for quality and common standards for the facial image and the fingerprints.
Article 3
1.   In accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 5(2) it may be decided that the specifications referred to in Article 2 shall be secret and not be published. In that case, they shall be made available only to the bodies designated by the Member States as responsible for printing and to persons duly authorised by a Member State or the Commission.
2.   Each Member State shall designate one body having responsibility for printing passports and travel documents. It shall communicate the name of that body to the Commission and the other Member States. The same body may be designated by two or more Member States. Each Member State shall be entitled to change its designated body. It shall inform the Commission and the other Member States accordingly.
Article 4
1.   Without prejudice to data protection rules, persons to whom a passport or travel document is issued shall have the right to verify the personal data contained in the passport or travel document and, where appropriate, to ask for rectification or erasure.
2.   No information in machine-readable form shall be included in a passport or travel document unless provided for in this Regulation, or its Annex, or unless it is mentioned in the passport or travel document by the issuing Member State in accordance with its national legislation.
3.   For the purpose of this Regulation, the biometric features in passports and travel documents shall only be used for verifying:
(a)
the authenticity of the document;
(b)
the identity of the holder by means of directly available comparable features when the passport or other travel documents are required to be produced by law.
Article 5
1.   The Commission shall be assisted by the Committee set up by Article 6(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1683/95.
2.   Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 5 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply.
The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at two months.
3.   The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.
Article 6
This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following that of its publication in the 
Official Journal of the European Union
.
Member States shall apply this Regulation:
(a)
as regards the facial image: at the latest 18 months
(b)
as regards fingerprints: at the latest 36 months
following the adoption of the measures referred to in Article 2. However, the validity of passports and travel documents already issued shall not be affected.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in the Member States in accordance with the Treaty establishing the European Community.
Done at Brussels, 13 December 2004.
For the Council
The President
B. R. BOT
(
1
)
  
            
OJ C 98, 23.4.2004, p. 39
.
(
2
)
  Opinion of 2.12.2004 (not yet published in the Official Journal).
(
3
)
  
            
OJ C 310, 28.10.2000, p. 1
.
(
4
)
  
            
OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23
.
(
5
)
  
            
OJ L 164, 14.7.1995, p. 1
. Regulation as last amended by the 2003 Act of Accession.
(
6
)
  
            
OJ L 281, 23.11.1995, p. 31
. Directive as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1882/2003 (
OJ L 284, 31.10.2003, p. 1
).
(
7
)
  
            
OJ L 239, 22.9.2000, p. 19
. Convention at last amended by Regulation (EC) No 871/2004 (
OJ L 162, 30.4.2004, p. 29
).
(
8
)
  
            
OJ L 131, 1.6.2000, p. 43
.
(
9
)
  
            
OJ L 64, 7.3.2002, p. 20
.
(
10
)
  
            
OJ L 176, 10.7.1999, p. 36
.
(
11
)
  
            
OJ L 176, 10.7.1999, p. 31
.
(
12
)
  Council document 13054/04 accessible on: http://register.consilium.eu.int
(
13
)
  Council document 13464/04 and 13466/04 accessible on: http://register.consilium.eu.int
ANNEX
MINIMUM SECURITY STANDARDS OF PASSPORTS AND TRAVEL DOCUMENTS ISSUED BY THE MEMBER STATES
Introduction
This Annex lays down the minimum level of security that the Member States’ passports and travel documents are required to provide. The provisions in this Annex are concerned primarily with the biographical data page. The generic security features also apply to the other parts of passports and travel documents.
The biographical data page may consist of various basic materials. This Annex specifies the minimum level of security for the specific material that is used.
1.   Material
The paper used for those sections of the passport or travel document giving personal particulars or other data shall meet the following minimum requirements:
—
no optical brighteners,
—
duotone watermarks,
—
security reagents to guard against attempts at tampering by chemical erasure,
—
coloured fibres (partly visible and partly fluorescent under UV light, or invisible and fluorescent in at least two colours),
—
UV-fluorescent planchettes are recommended (mandatory for stickers),
—
the use of security thread is recommended.
If the biographical data page is in sticker form, the watermark in the paper used for that page may be dispensed with. The watermark may also be dispensed with in the paper used for the inside of the passport or travel document covers. Security reagents are required on the inside covers only if data are entered there.
Stitching thread should be protected against substitution.
If a card for inserting personal data in the passport or travel document is made entirely of a synthetic substrate, it is not usually possible to incorporate the authentication marks used in passport or travel document paper. In the case of stickers and cards, the lack of marks in the materials shall be compensated for by measures in respect of security printing, use of an anti copying device, or an issuing technique according to sections 3, 4 and 5 over and above the following minimum standards.
2.   Biographical data page
The passport or travel document shall contain a machine-readable biographical data page, which shall comply with Part 1 (machine-readable passports) of ICAO Document 9303 and the way they are issued shall comply with the specifications for machine-readable passports set out therein.
The portrait of the holder shall also appear on this page and shall not be affixed but integrated into the material of the biographical data page by the issuing techniques referred to in Section 5.
The biographical data shall be entered on the page following the title page in the passport or travel document. In any event, an inside cover page must no longer be used for biographical data.
The layout of the biographical data page shall be such that it is distinguishable from the other pages.
3.   Printing techniques
The following printing techniques shall be used:
A.
Background printing:
—
two-tone guilloches or equivalent structures,
—
rainbow colouring, where possible fluorescent,
—
UV-fluorescent overprinting,
—
effective anti-counterfeiting and anti-falsification motifs (especially on the biographical data page) with optional use of microprinting,
—
reagent inks must be used on paper passport or travel document pages and stickers,
—
if the paper of the passport or travel document is well protected against attempts at tampering, the use of reagent inks is optional.
B.
Form printing
With integrated microprinting (unless already included in background printing).
C.
Numbering
On all pages inside the passport or travel document a unique document number should be printed (where possible with a special style of figures or typeface and in UV-fluorescent ink), or perforated or, in passport cards, a unique document number should be integrated using the same technique as for the biographical data. It is recommended that in passport cards the unique document number is visible on both sides of the card. If a sticker is used for biographical data the unique document number should be printed using fluorescent ink, and a special style of figures or typeface is obligatory.
If stickers or non-laminated paper inside pages are used for biographical data, intaglio printing with latent image effect, microtext and ink with optically variable properties and a DOVID (diffractive optically variable image device) shall also be employed. Additional optically variable security devices shall also be used on passport cards made entirely of a synthetic substrate, at least through the use of a DOVID or equivalent measures.
4.   Protection against copying
An optically variable (OVD) or equivalent device, which provides for the same level of identification and security as currently used in the uniform format for visas, shall be used on the biographical data page and shall take the form of diffractive structures which vary when viewed from different angles (DOVID) incorporated into the hot-sealed or an equivalent laminate (as thin as possible) or applied as an OVD overlay, or, on stickers or a non-laminated paper inside page, as metallised or partially de-metallised OVD (with intaglio overprinting) or equivalent devices.
The OVD devices should be integrated into the document as an element of a layered structure, effectively protecting against forgery and falsification. In documents made of paper, they should be integrated over as wide a surface as possible as an element of the hot-sealed or an equivalent laminate (as thin as possible) or applied as a security overlay, as described in section 5. In documents made of a synthetic substrate, they should be integrated in the card layer over as wide a surface as possible.
If a synthetic card is personalised by laser engraving, and an optically variable laser written device is incorporated therein, the diffractive OVD shall be applied at least in the form of a positioned metallised or transparent DOVID, to achieve enhanced protection against reproduction.
If a biographical data page is made of a synthetic substrate with paper core, the diffractive OVD shall be applied at least in the form of a positioned metallised or transparent DOVID, to achieve enhanced protection against reproduction.
5.   Issuing technique
To ensure that passport or travel document data are properly secured against attempts at counterfeiting and falsification, biographical data including the holder’s portrait, the holder's signature and main issue data shall be integrated into the basic material of the document. Conventional methods of attaching the photograph shall no longer be used.
The following issuing techniques may be used:
—
laser printing,
—
thermotransfer,
—
ink-jet printing,
—
photographic,
—
laser-engraving that effectively penetrates into the card layers bearing the security characteristics.
To ensure that biographical and issue data are adequately protected against attempts at tampering, hot-seal or equivalent lamination (as thin as possible) with an anti-copying device is compulsory where laser printing, thermo-transfer or photographic techniques are used.
Travel documents shall be issued in machine-readable form. The layout of the biographical data page shall follow the specifications given in part 1 of ICAO Document 9303, and the issuing procedures shall meet the specifications it sets for machine-readable documents.

Summary:
Integration of biometric features in passports and travel documents
SUMMARY OF:
Regulation (EC) 
No 2252/2004
 on standards for security features and biometrics in passports and travel documents issued by EU Member States
WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?
Regulation (EC) 
No 2252/2004
 seeks to harmonise the security features, including biometric identifiers
1
, for 
European Union
 
Member State
 passports and travel documents to protect against their falsification.
It was amended by Regulation (EC) 
No 
444/2009
 in 2009, mainly to define exceptions for children under six and for people who are physically unable to give fingerprints for travel documents.
KEY POINTS
The biometric features in passports and travel documents will be used only for 
verifying the authenticity of the document
 and the 
identity of the holder
, who will have the right to verify the personal data contained in the passport or travel document and, where appropriate, to ask for rectification or erasure. The collection and storage of biometric data is intended 
exclusively
 for the purpose of issuing passports and travel documents.
Passports and travel documents must include a 
high-security storage medium
 (chip) for storing digital data and must have sufficient capacity to guarantee the integrity, authenticity and confidentiality of that data. The storage medium contains a 
facial image
 and 
two fingerprints
 taken flat (rather than rolling individual fingers, nail to nail). These data, which must be in 
interoperable formats
, must be secured.
To ensure that the classified information on security features and the production details are not made available to more parties than necessary, each Member State designates one body to be responsible for producing passports and travel documents. Member States remain free to change that body, if required. For security reasons, each Member State communicates the name of the competent body to the 
European Commission
 and the other Member States.
The 
minimum security 
standards
 with which passports and travel documents issued by Member States must comply are set out in the annex to the 
regulation
. These include detailed requirements on:
the materials used (e.g. special paper, watermarks, fibres);
the layout, machine readability and protection of the biographical data page;
anti-forgery printing techniques and optically variable devices;
the secure integration of biometric and issue data;
procedures for issuing and personalising the document securely.
These are 
specifications that are not secret
. These specifications are supplemented by specifications that 
may remain secret
 in order to prevent the risk of counterfeiting and falsification. These additional specifications are adopted by means of 
implementing acts
 by the Commission, are in accordance with international standards and relate to:
further security features;
the storage medium and its security;
common quality requirements for the facial image and the fingerprints.
In 2018, the Commission adopted an 
implementing decision
 laying down the technical specifications regarding the standards for security features and biometrics in passports and travel documents, which repealed and replaced similar earlier decisions. The Annex to that decision was subsequently amended in 2021 by another 
implementing decision
, which updated the list of normative references.
Under Regulation (EC) 
No 444/2009
, children under 12 (provisional age limit) and persons for whom this is physically impossible are exempted from fingerprinting. Only qualified and duly authorised staff of national authorities who are responsible for issuing passports and travel documents may take biometric identifiers. Passports and travel documents must be issued as 
individual documents
 in accordance with international requirements.
Under the rules of the 
Schengen
 body of law (
acquis
) (see 
summary
), Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom did not take part in this regulation and so were not bound by it. Denmark, however, decided to implement it in its national law. Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, although not part of the EU, will be involved in implementing the regulation.
The regulation does not apply to 
identity cards
 issued by Member States to their nationals or to 
temporary passports and travel documents
 valid for 12 months or less.
FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?
Member States had to apply this regulation:
as regards the 
facial image
 by 
28 August 2006
;
as regards 
fingerprints
 by 
28 June 2009
.
BACKGROUND
For more information, see:
Travel and residence documents
 (European Commission).
KEY TERMS
Biometric identifiers.
 Personal data resulting from specific technical processing relating to the physical, physiological or behavioural characteristics of an individual, which allow or confirm the unique identification of that person, such as facial images or fingerprint data.
MAIN DOCUMENT
Council Regulation (EC) 
No 
2252/2004
 of 
13 December 2004
 on standards for security features and biometrics in passports and travel documents issued by Member States (OJ L 385, 
29.12.2004
, 
pp. 1–6
).
Successive amendments to Regulation (EC) 
No 2252/2004
 have been incorporated into the original text. This 
consolidated version
 is of documentary value only.
RELATED DOCUMENTS
Commission Implementing Decision of 
4 June 2021
 amending the Annex to Implementing Decision C(2018) 7774 as regards the list of normative references (
C(2021) 3741 final
, 
4.6.2021
).
Commission Implementing Decision of 
30 November 2018
 laying down the technical specifications regarding the standards for security features and biometrics in passports and travel documents issued by Member States and repealing Decisions C(2006) 2909 and C(2008) 8657 (
C(2018) 7774 final
, 
30.11.2018
).
last update 
18.7.2025

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