Visa Waiver Countries Ready for Biometric Passports

A spokesman for the European Union has said that the 15 EU countries that are part of a United States visa waiver scheme are ready to meet a deadline set for October on biometric passports.

The biometric passports will allow nationals of these countries to continue to travel visa-free. According to the US, nationals from these countries who are travelling with passports issued after 26 October would have to apply for a visa unless the passports have an electronic chip with a photograph.

Nationals from the 15 countries with a passport issued before 26 October will not need to change it if it is "machine-readable", Reuters reported.

Airline Industry Information -- 9/27/06

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