A new e-passport design using more than 40 anti-forgery features, including engraving the holder's name and personal data on an image of Tsing Ma Bridge, has been introduced by the Immigration Department.
The first batch of the passports, which will be issued next month, contain digital data including the holder's personal details and facial image in a chip embedded in the back cover.
Acting Director of Immigration Simon Peh Yun-lu believes the latest design will further improve security against forgery.
The design uses the latest engraving technology to record personal particulars and photographs on the polycarbonate, or plastic, bio-data page.
'We used to have lamination, which means counterfeit travel document manufacturers can replace the original bio-data page with a new one. But with the laser engraving technology, they cannot do that anymore,' he said.
'The quality of forged travel documents has never been good. With the new anti-forgery measures, it will be very difficult for criminals to make counterfeit documents.'
