Contracting States shall begin issuing only Machine Readable Passports in accordance with the specifications of Doc 9303, Part 1, no later than 1 April 2010. Note.—This provision does not intend to preclude the issuance of non-machine readable passports or temporary travel documents of limited validity in cases of emergency. For passports issued after 24 November 2005 and which are not machine readable, Contracting States shall ensure the expiration date falls before 24 November 2015. 3.11 Recommended Practice.— When issuing identity documents or visas accepted for travel purposes, Contracting States should issue these in machine readable form, as specified in Doc 9303 (series), Machine Readable Travel Documents.

When issuing passports that are not machine readable, Contracting States shall ensure that the personal identification and document issuance data and the format of the data page conform to the specifications for the “visual zone” set forth in Doc 9303, Part 1, Machine Readable Passports. The “machine readable zone” area shall be filled with words such as “this passport is not machine readable” or other data to preclude fraudulent insertion of machine readable characters.

 Recommended Practice.— Contracting States should establish publicly accessible facilities for the receipt of passport applications and/or for the issuance of passports. Contracting States shall establish transparent application procedures for the issuance, renewal or replacement of passports and shall make information describing their requirements available to prospective applicants upon request. Recommended Practice.— If any fee is charged for the issue or renewal of a passport, the amount of such fee should not exceed the cost of the operation.  Contracting States shall issue a separate passport to each person, regardless of age.  Recommended Practice.— When issuing passports for tourism or business travel, Contracting States should normally provide that such passports be valid for a period of at least five years, for an unlimited number of journeys and for travel to all States and territories.


Source by ICAO Annex 9