News

 The new Luxembourg passport has no technical defects and fully complies with international standards. It is fully valid for border crossings and all international travel.

Occasional difficulties at some airports may arise from an ongoing global technological transition between two generations of communication protocols used for the secure reading of electronic passport chips. Luxembourg has chosen to adopt the latest security protocol, known as PACE (Password Authenticated Connection Establishment), which will gradually become the international standard. However, some border control systems have not yet been fully adapted to this new technology or properly configured in line with the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). As a result, some automated border control systems (“e-gates”) may have difficulty reading the passports.

During this transitional period, travellers holding a new-generation passport issued since 11 May may, at some airports abroad, be directed to a conventional staffed border control point rather than an automated one.

The Luxembourg authorities are in contact with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and all the countries concerned in order to accelerate the adaptation of border control systems to the new standards for reading biometric passports.

Press release  by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade