Burkina Faso Launches New Biometric Passport

Burkina Faso has introduced its new passport, a latest generation biometric passport with an electronic chip for data collection and storage.

The new passport features several upgrades compared to the old one. Notably, the mention of ECOWAS and the ECOWAS logo have been removed from the new Burkinabè passport, according to the minister in charge of security, Mahamadou Sana.

The passport is made of polycarbonate, a durable material that provides enhanced security features. Burkina Faso is the first country in West Africa and the 10th country in Africa to adopt this type of state-of-the-art technology passport.

The new passport was designed in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with the Chinese company Emptech. “The new passport belongs to the latest generation of passports recommended by international civil aviation regulatory bodies,” specified Perfect Louré, Director General of the National Identification Office (ONI).

The new passport system offers several benefits, including online pre-registration, flexible registration in online or offline mode, immediate data transfer at Embassies, and enhanced security features.

The new passport contains an electronic chip with a large storage capacity. Mahamadou Sana assured the holders of the old passport that their passport remains valid until it expires. He also assured that the price of the new passport remains 50,000 FCFA like the old one, but some amenities around the new passport may be taxed.

The new passport is the culmination of a process launched since 2022, according to Perfect Louré, CEO of ONI.