The German authorities have announced that the country has officially taken the decision to replace all children’s passports with biometric ones.
The draft law on the abolition of current passports for children under 12 was passed by the Bundestag, and the measure is expected to become fully effective at the beginning of 2024.
Currently, all parents are permitted to apply for their children’s passports. The passport that is issued to children under the age of 12 is valid for a period of 12 months, meaning that so far, the document had to be renewed each year.
In order to make it easier for parents, the government said that from next year, families who plan to travel abroad with their children will need to apply for a different document instead, Focus Online explains.
From 2024, parents will be required to apply for a biometric passport for their children under 12. This type of passport will remain valid for a longer period of time, and it will permit travel worldwide.
As explained, the passport of children under the age of 12 is currently valid in most countries, excluding the United States, Australia, and some African countries. Moreover, some countries require an additional document in addition to the passport, as the latter does not include the chip and fingerprints.
For these reasons, the authorities have seen it as necessary for parents to apply for biometric passports for their children.
Nonetheless, it has been stressed that facilitated rules will continue to apply to travel within the European Union and the Schengen Area. Children under 12 will still be able to travel to the EU/Schengen with an identity card, which is issued to them at the request of their parents.
As for the new document’s price, Focus Online said that the biometric passport for children will be more expensive than the physical one.
Parents will now have to pay €37.50 for their children’s biometric passports. On the other hand, the registration for the physical format of the passport cost €13 and each extension €6.
Parents have been able to apply for the biometric passport for their as of July. Apart from children, Focus Online says that everyone under the age of 24 can apply for the alternative version. The same notes that the biometric passport for this group of people will remain valid for a maximum of six years.
Since it is more convenient to apply for a biometric passport, it has been said that the new document is totally worth it, pushing parents to welcome this decision.
