Austria will release the new generation of its passport next month, aiming to make it one of the most modern and safest passports in the world.
Starting from December 1, 2023, Austrians are eligible to apply for the new passport in almost 900 municipalities and district administrations in Austria, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
Identity protection and anti-forgery measures were given top priority when the passport was redesigned, according to the Interior Minister of Austria, Gerhard Karner.
Thanks to the close cooperation between the Austrian State Printing Office, experts from the Federal Criminal Police Office and the state criminal investigation offices in Burgenland and Lower Austria, the Austrian passport is one of the safest in the world.
As the Austrian authorities have revealed, the design of the passport has been changed completely. The new passport has a polycarbonate (plastic) data page with the QR code, which the country started previously using in its identity card. With the Ministry of the Interior’s free “CHECK-AT” app, the code provides easy electronic control.
With the launching of the new passport, there won’t be additional fees for citizens. Currently, the passport fee in Austria is €75.90 for adults, €30 for children up to twelve years and it is free for children up to two years.
The passports that have been issued previously will remain valid until their date of expiration.
The Austrian government has been working on developing a new passport since 2020, with a group of experts from the Ministry of the Interior, the Federal Criminal Police Office and the state police departments of Lower Austria and Burgenland.
In intensive collaboration, we have developed an up-to-date, highly secure document. We spent more than three years developing the new passport, testing the document and then starting production.
The new ID card was first launched in August 2021, followed by an emergency pass in April 2022. According to the Ministry of Interior, on a ten-year average, around 750,000 passports are issued each year. In 2027, this number is estimated to reach 950,000.
In general terms, the Austrian passport is among the most powerful passports in the world. Currently ranked as 17th, based on VisaGuide.World Passport Index, it guarantees its citizens visa-free entry in 104 countries and passport-free entry in 40 countries. Meanwhile, in 30 other countries, Austrian citizens can be granted a visa on arrival (VOA). However, they need eVisa in 20 countries and regular visas in 21 countries.