Peru: 1.6 million biometric passports to be issued over three-year period

During a three-year period, 1.6 million biometric passports —a document required to consolidate the Schengen visa waiver process— will be issued by the National Superintendence of Migrations and Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Thus, Peruvian citizens will be allowed to enter the Eurozone without a visa for up to 90 days.

According to Ambassador Carlos Polo, head of the General Directorate of Peruvian Communities Abroad and Consular Affairs, the National Superintendence of Migrations and the Foreign Affairs Ministry will issue 1.2 million and 400,000 of such electronic documents, respectively.

Abroad

In 2016, around 80,000 biometric passports are estimated to be issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry overseas. The process will start on July 11th at Peruvian Consulates based in Madrid, Barcelona, Milan and Amsterdam, where the corresponding work committees have already been installed.

"Four important diplomatic offices are based in Europe. Equipment and tools to process information and design biometric passports will be set up at 111 Embassies across the world," the diplomat noted.

380,000 ordinary and 20,000 diplomatic passports will be printed. The latter ones are designed for official purposes, the Foreign Affairs Ministry Representative detailed.

Dates

5,000 biometric passports will be distributed in February; 10,000 in March and 30,000 in April.

The date on which Peruvians will be allowed to enter the Schengen area visa-free is yet to be set.

The corresponding agreement is expected to consolidate in March. The final agreement singing ceremony might take place in Brussels (Belgium) and see the participation of Peruvian President Ollanta Humala, he noted.

(END) DOP-MVF/MVF/MVB

Published: 2/7/2016