From today to Monday August 2nd, citizens from the Czech Republic won’t be able to apply for a new ID card if they need it. Due to a European Union normative, starting next week all the ID cards and passports have to have biometric data to enhance their cybersecurity. This implementation aims to make these documents safer to avoid potential counterfeiting and thefts. “The identity card will now be safer and we will still be able to travel around Europe without having to carry a passport. I recommend citizens to check the validity of their documents to avoid inconveniences, for example when going on vacation” stated the Interior Minister Jan Hamáček (ČSSD). August will bring Czechs a new card that contains a contactless chip in which biometric data is stored. However, the citizens who are still holders of a valid ID or passports must wait for their documents to expire to be able to apply for this new card. Other governments are planning to implement this strategy in their country as well. Ghana may soon be able to use national ID cards with biometric data to travel around the continent. However, a discussion about freedom and security is stirring up in European countries like Germany, where these measures are being reconsidered. The UK will also have to implement this, despite their exit from the EU. All UK nationals will have to get a new biometric ID before August 2022.
