Machine-Readable Passports Ready At British High Commission
By M K Anwar

Bandar Seri Begawan - The British High Commission is now ready to issue machine-readable passports (MRP) to all British_ passport holders.

The launch of the new British passport issuing system was formally launched in the presence of His Excellency Andrew Caie, British High Commissioner to Brunei, and Awang Zainal Abidin Dato Paduka Hj Ahmad, Acting Director of Immigration.

With the British High Commission in Brunei now able to produce MRP, applications for this passport will no longer need to be forwarded to the United Kingdom to be processed. The British High Commission aims to process and issue all passports within five working days after the application is received.

In efforts to prevent counterfeiting and forgery, the MRP will have several improved security features which includes two lines of characters across the bottom of the photograph page that can be read by a machine at passport control.

This will enable immediate cross-referencing with immigration computers.

A press release from the British High Commission stated that from 26 October 2004 only British travellers with MRP would be able to enter the USA without a visa.

The issuing of non-machine readable passports had stopped at the end of last year following the introduction of the MRP. Non-machine readable passports, however, will still remain a valid travel document.

The British High Commission advises British passport holders to apply for a replacement passport seven to eight months before their current passport expires even if they have no immediate travel plan as several Asian countries, including Brunei requires travellers to have their passports valid more than six months before it expires on entry.

For further information on the MRP, call the British High Commission's Consular Section at 2226001 or 2222231 or visit the website at www.britishhighcommission.gov.uk/brunei. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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