Ukraine’s leader has confirmed that the country will start issuing biometric passports next week, in a move that aims to help facilitate a visa-free regime with the EU.
Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk said that the passports were are one of the key requirements for Ukrainians to be able to travel to EU countries without visas.
He added 35 terminals capable of issuing over 2,000 biometric passports per month had been set up in the country and that 606 points for issuing such passports should operate from February 15.
“In 2015, we will reach the figure of 2.5 million passports per year. Now we issue 1.5 million [passports per year], and then we will issue 2.5 [million passports per year],” he said.
Current passports will still be valid until they expire or until a person decides to replace his passport with a biometric passport.
