Digital passport in 2021: what is important to know

Over the past few years, there has been a lot of talk about the introduction of electronic passports. And even if until recently this prospect was taken seriously by few, but once vague and fantastic assumptions still became a reality. Before the end of the current year, 2021, Moscow will start issuing new electronic passports.

The procedure for issuing a plastic document will be almost identical to the procedure for obtaining a regular passport, the only difference is that now they will take a digital photo of the owner and scan his fingerprints.

You will need to change your electronic passport every ten years.

The new passport will look almost like a plastic bank card. On the front side will be presented the basic information-full name, date of birth, photo and the chip that stores all the other data. The Ministry of Digital Development assures that both the chip and the card itself will be made exclusively from Russian-made components. Cryptographic algorithms and software are also developed in Russia.

The chip will record such data as, SNILS, INN, registration address, biometric data (this is both fingerprints and a face image). If the passport holder has a driver's license, it will also be stored on the chip.

In fact, it turns out that the new passport performs the functions of a single document.

It is interesting that a plastic card — a new passport-will not necessarily be carried everywhere with you. Together with the receipt of the passport, the owner installs a mobile application, a virtual version of the document, where all information about the owner will also be stored-in encrypted form as an NFC tag or QR code. This application can be used to confirm your identity in the MFC, when concluding contracts, to confirm your identity in the store, and so on.

The passport with an electronic carrier will be called PEN, and the virtual application will be called MiG, the mobile ID of the citizen.

The issuance of new electronic passports will begin in Moscow, from December 1 of this year. It is planned that residents of other cities will be able to get a new document until 2023. But this is approximate data, and the timing may shift, as has already happened-because of the pandemic, the launch of this project was postponed.

It is assumed that the transition to electronic passports will be gradual and gradual. Over time, the issuance of paper documents will stop altogether, but until then, the electronic and paper versions will be equally relevant. Please note that it will not be possible to use both a paper and an electronic document at the same time: as soon as you receive an electronic passport, the paper one will be canceled.