Identification papers will become cheaper

“The identity cards and passports must be cheaper,” Minister of Information and Communication Technology Alexandru Oleinic said, when speaking about the implementation of biometric identification papers in Moldova, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to the minister, the switch to biometric passports represents one of the basic conditions imposed by the European Union for being allowed to enter it visa-free. “We prepared for a mass production of biometric passports and will soon announce when we will switch exclusively to this type of documents,” Oleinic said in an interview. The biometric passports will be used in parallel with the ordinary ones. “If the person does not need to go to the EU and other countries where the biometric passport is obligatory, they can use the ordinary passport until its period of validity expires,” the minister said. Alexandru Oleinic also said that the procedure for obtaining identification papers will be simplified. The papers could be ordered by mail or email. “Today, the people can order a passport by phone, but soon will be able to do it through the Internet as well. In the not too distant future, the people will receive the identification papers at home, in sealed envelopes,” the minister said.