Bahrain – Over 125,000 e-passports issued

Interior Ministry’s Undersecretary for Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA), Shaikh Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, has stated that 125,000 copies of e-passports have been issued since the launch of the service under the patronage of Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa in March 2023.

He said that the e-passport is a turning point in facilitating citizens’ travelling procedures. Bahrain’s e-passport has won several international awards thanks to its distinction from other passports.

He indicated that the milestones reflect the major support and directives of the Interior Minister.

He thanked the working team for increasing printing and issuance rates. He asserted the continuity of efforts to provide better NPRA services for citizens and residents through the best strategies and advanced programmes.

It is worth noting that the e-passport was designed with great care, accuracy, and a high level of innovation by the work team consisting of experts and specialists from the Kingdom of Bahrain and abroad. It is characterised by high quality and security features and specifications that match international standards, in addition to its contribution to facilitating its holders’ access to visas and exemptions. Some of them are from different countries of the world, which has increased the ranking of the passport globally.

Bahrain’s e-passport won the International Best New Passport Award of 2024 in Europe, the Middle East and Africa as part of the HSP (High Security Print) Awards during a conference held in Sofia, Bulgaria, from March 4 to 7.

It had also previously won ten awards at the London Design Awards, one of the leading global institutions in the verification and examination of travel and identity documents, in which the Bahraini passport is among the 12 most beautiful passports in the world.