Electronic Passport – Passport is a valid proof and must be taken when traveling abroad. With a passport, one can find out the country of origin of tourists who come to a country. In this modern era, almost all activities use digital or electronic media. Likewise with passports that are present in electronic form and are known as electronic passports.
Then, what exactly is meant by an electronic passport? Check out the full explanation about the following electronic passport.
About Electronic Passport
Passport is one of the mandatory requirements that must be owned by someone to be able to go abroad. Your passport will be shown when you go abroad, be it at the airport or port or at several cross-border posts. The personal data in the passport will be shown to the immigration officer in the destination country.
Passport serves as self-identity which is then valid internationally and can be used to travel. Currently, passports are not only in book form, but also have electronic passports.
Ordinary passports can only contain personal data and a photo of the passport holder. Meanwhile, electronic passports can contain more complete data, such as fingerprint data of the passport owner and biometric data of the passport owner. All that data has been stored on a removable chip. Therefore, electronic passports are more difficult to forge. So, an electronic passport is a passport which contains complete personal data, and is already stored in a chip and can be scanned with an electronic device.
Electronic Passport Fee
In this modern era, you can make a passport using only your cellphone by downloading and installing the M-Paspor application on your smartphone . For those of you who want to make an electronic passport, but don’t know how much it will cost, here’s an explanation.
Quoted from the official website jakartajakarta.imigration.go.id , Passport is one of the mandatory requirements that must be owned by someone to be able to go abroad. When a traveler will go abroad this passport will then be examined by an immigration officer. The passport processing fee itself will later be included in the Immigration Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP) list. Here’s a list of passport prices that you need to know:
- Ordinary passport, charged IDR 350,000
- Electronic passport (e-passport), charged IDR 650,000
- Polycarbonate e-passport, charged IDR 650,000
Advantages of Electronic Passport
For those of you who are still unsure about changing your passport to an electronic passport, you don’t need to be confused. This is because electronic passports have several advantages. Here are some of the advantages of electronic passports that you need to know.
1. Complete and Accurate Data Stored on Chip
Compared to ordinary passports which then contain a blank without a chip, this electronic passport has advantages regarding the completeness and accuracy of the passport holder’s data. In this case, the intended personal data and biometric data include fingerprints and the face of the passport owner. Then, all the personal data is stored on the chip.
The chip in the electronic passport is located at the bottom of the center or in front of the electronic passport book. This biometric data also uses International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards recorded on a chip which is very difficult to counterfeit. This also has a positive effect on the better security of electronic passports when compared to using ordinary passports.
2. Easily Approved in Visa Submission and Visa-free to Japan
Given the good security and ease of verification, it will be easier for visa applications for electronic passport holders to be approved by the country to be visited. What’s more, the country of Japan provides free visa facilities for electronic passport holders from Indonesia.
Therefore, never hesitate to switch to an electronic passport so that Visa can be easily approved, so that when traveling it becomes smooth without having to think about complicated requirements.
3. Faster Immigration Check
Holders of electronic passports no longer need to bother queuing at immigration check booths at several airports in Indonesia, but can directly go through the auto-gate by scanning their electronic passport. This is easy to do because the chip that stores the passport holder’s biometric data can then be identified using a special scanner placed at several international airports in Indonesia that have auto-gates.
That way, electronic passport holders only need a short time in immigration checks if they want to enter or leave the country.
Those are some of the advantages of electronic passports when compared to ordinary passports. So, what are you waiting for, move to an electronic passport now!
Requirements for Managing E-Passport
Quoted from the official Immigration website , for an online passport renewal you can first download the immigration service application on your smartphone, namely Mobile Passport ( M-Paspor ). After that, you can register by fulfilling the requirements requested. The conditions themselves include:
- Identity Card (KTP) that is still valid
- Family Card (KK)
- Birth certificate, marriage book, diploma, marriage certificate, baptism certificate
- Indonesian citizenship certificate for foreigners who acquire Indonesian citizenship
- Name change stipulation letter from the authorized official for those who have changed their name
- Old ordinary passport for those who previously had an ordinary passport.
This service then offers the practicality of collecting files by simply uploading scans of the documents needed to the application. After registering, the applicant can choose the location of the immigration office and the schedule for the passport to be processed.
Then, the applicant must come to the immigration office to be able to conduct interviews with officers. The officer will also check the validity of the documents that have been inputted through the M-Paspor application during the interview.
However, there are a number of notes that applicants need to know to avoid long lines, including:
- Don’t get close to passport expiration dates or traveling dates
- Be diligent in checking the latest queue schedule in the application
- The applicant must know the location of the immigration office selection depending on the cellphone GPS. For example, when registering you are in South Jakarta, the location of the Immigration office that appears will be in the South Jakarta area.
According to the official Immigration website , applicants who have already paid for the billing code can then change their arrival date to the Immigration office by clicking on the application information listed on the application homepage.
Difference between Electronic Passport and Ordinary Passport
Indonesia has two types of passports that are currently valid, namely ordinary passports and electronic passports. In principle, these two types of passports have the same function, namely as proof of identity which is valid for international travel. So, what’s the difference between a regular passport and an e-passport? Here’s the explanation:
1. Completeness of Data
The most distinguishing thing between ordinary passports and electronic passports is the completeness of the data. This ordinary passport contains the owner’s data such as full name, nationality, date of birth, and others.
However, in an electronic passport, the passport owner’s data is more complete because of the presence of biometric data. As for biometric data, such as fingerprints and facial shape of the passport owner. The biometric data contained in the electronic passport is then stored in a chip that is embedded in the electronic passport. In fact, this biometric data also meets the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
2. Higher security level
It is known that the e-passport has a chip embedded in it. With the chip on the electronic passport, then it will be difficult to misuse it. As in the act of counterfeiting by irresponsible parties, so that security becomes more guaranteed than ordinary passport holders.
3. Passport check easier and faster
Another difference is in the ease of passport control. Electronic passports will be easier and faster, because electronic passports will only be scanned without having to open them per page per. It’s different with an ordinary passport, which must be opened to the last page to then be stamped by the immigration officer.
4. E-passport users can use autogate
In addition, electronic passport holders can also use immigration auto-gates and don’t have to bother queuing at immigration booths anymore. In this autogate , e-passport holders only need to scan their e-passport. If it is successfully scanned, the gate will open automatically and the user can enter the airport waiting area. Currently, this autogate only exists at two international airports, namely Soekarno-Hatta and I Gusti Ngurah Rai.
5. It’s easy to get a visa for another country
E-passport holders will find it easier to get approval for a visit visa, especially when they want to travel to countries outside ASEAN. This convenience is due to the fact that the data in the electronic passport is accurate and can be easily verified by the embassy of the country to be visited.
6. Places for making e-passport are limited
Based on the Decree of the Director General of Immigration Number IMI-0278.GR.01.01 of 2021, there are 52 immigration offices which then provide services for making electronic passports. This is because the e-passport has an electronic chip, which is not available at all immigration offices.
Therefore, not all immigration offices can make the e-passport . Currently, immigration offices are still limited, the number of immigration offices that can issue electronic passports is only 52, compared to previously only 35 immigration offices. Although there is an increase, but this number is still lacking.
7. Differences in the cost of making passports
When viewed from the cost, making an e-passport is somewhat more expensive. This is then because electronic passports are more sophisticated than ordinary passports. One of them is the chip system that has an electronic passport in it. If the cost of making an ordinary passport (48 pages) is IDR 355 thousand, then the cost of making an electronic passport (48 pages) is IDR 655 thousand.
Closing
Nowadays, vacation can be considered as a way to relieve stress or fatigue due to daily activities. Therefore, some people will try to take time off and holidays, whether they are still in the country or abroad. If you are still confused about finding a place to travel, then you can look for traveling references through books that can be found at sinaumedia.com .
As explained above, electronic passports have many advantages, making it easier for users or passport owners. So, are you interested in owning it?