The increasing threat of identity fraud necessitates the strengthening of security features in passports. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO - which sets international standards) nominated facial recognition as the primary biometric with iris and fingerprint as backup but not mandatory. The use of biometric information to link a person to a passport can help to counter identity fraud. In practice, biometric verification can be used at border controls and to verify the image on a passport renewal application against images held on record.

The use of biometric information to link a person to a passport serves a dual role

•          Helps to detect counterfeit or manipulated documents

•          Confirms the identify of the individual