http://www.icao.int/icao/en/atb/fal/mrtd

Machine Readable Travel Document (MRTD) is an international travel document (e.g. a passport or visa) containing eye- and machine-readable data.

Each type of MRTD contains, in a standard format, the holder's identification details, including a photograph or digital image, with mandatory identity elements reflected in a two-line machine readable zone (MRZ) printed in Optical Character Recognition-B (OCR-B) style.Standardization of elements in the travel document allows all participating countries using properly configured readers to read the MRZs of the MRTDs of all other countries issuing the same type of document.

This "global inter-operability" of MRTDs promotes facilitation in international travel and generally enhances security, especially aviation security.

MRTDs currently in existence include Machine Readable Passports (MRPs), Machine Readable Visas (MRVs) and Machine Readable Official Travel Documents (TDs). Over 110 States presently---or have plans to---issue MRTDs, primarily MRPs.

MRTDs are developed by ICAO's Technical Advisory Group on Machine Readable Travel Documents (TAG/MRTD). The TAG drafts and adopts "specifications" (i.e. detailed technical requirements) for the design of these travel documents. These specifications are published in ICAO Document 9303. http://www.icao.int/icao/en/atb/fal/mrtd/doc9303.htm
The TAG also drafts guidance material to assist States implement the specifications, and Technical Reports and Information Papers to guide States and private industry on present and future aspects of its work.

ICAO's mandate to develop MRTDs is provided by Articles 22, 23 and 37 of the Chicago Convention which oblige Contracting States to develop and adopt international standards for customs, immigration and other procedures to facilitate the border-crossing processes involved in international air transport.

Guide to Doc 9303
http://www.icao.int/icao/en/atb/fal/mrtd/guide.htm


Here's what MRPs from The Kingdom of Thailand (regular and official) look like:
http://www.mfa.go.th/web/871.php


ICAO info:

The Need For Machine Readable Travel Documents.

2.10 With the rapid growth of international air passenger traffic in the 1950s and the implications of the impending introduction of the first generation of high capacity jet aircraft, the Seventh Session of the ICAO Facilitation Division in 1968 considered proposals for the introduction of a machine readable passport or passport card which might eventually replace the conventional passport. This would accelerate clearance through passport controls, and possibly eliminate the requirement for, or automate the completion of, Embarkation/ Disembarkation Cards.


And of course, the Benefits.....which is mostly the ability to create HUGE databases on the traveling public:

Benefits to Governments

3.6 Advance Passenger Information: MRTDs permit the use of Advance Passenger Information (API) systems. Using these systems, air operators can electronically send customs, immigration and other authorities at the place of destination, a list of passengers. This allows the border officials to process, much in advance of the arrival of the flight, the information received for further action, if necessary.

3.7 Machine readers: Readers at border crossings have the capability to detect false or fraudulent passports.

3.8 Visual authentication of travel documents and holders: Border officials inspecting data pages that are laid out in a uniform and standard manner need less time to do most individual inspections, but can focus in on those cases where more time is needed to examine the document and its holder, for visual authentication.

3.9 Rapid and precise identification: MRTDs facilitate the rapid and precise identification of those people who would misuse travel documents to further criminal activity, to illegally immigrate, etc.

3.10 MRTDs promote efficiency & save resources: The ability to identify rapidly and precisely "problem cases" allows governments to spend their always-limited border control and law enforcement resources on those who should be given a more detailed inspection. That efficiency also reduces the need to hire additional government personnel and facility costs.

3.11 Improvement of systems: It is relatively inexpensive to improve the passport and passport issuance systems compared to the cost of fraud and case-related investigations and prosecutions by law enforcement authorities after someone has compromised the travel document system.

3.12 Electronic monitoring & control of issuance process: The automated issuance of passports and other travel documents also represents a significant benefit in that it allows issuing authorities to electronically monitor and control the issuance of the document at all stages of the application and issuance process.

3.13 Electronic tracking of passports: Governments that issue machine readable passports also gain a security benefit with regard to their own population because the passport issuing authority is better able to track passports and applications through all stages of the issuance process. This has potential benefits in blank passport control, fee control, verification of citizenship, name clearance and in other ways that automation can be used to reduce workload and increase efficiency.

3.14 Databases: Using machine readable visas and/or passports as a source of reliable data, governments can build useful data bases that can serve as a uniform source of information in standardized format to speed the border control process. Databases are also useful in tracking high risk categories of travellers, for instance in making certain that short term visitors depart as required, and do not violate the terms of their entry permission.

3.15 Tracing stolen/fraudulently obtained documents: In the future, we will also likely see the creation of data bases shared voluntarily, even across national boundaries, and between the public and private sectors. This will make it easier to identify people who are travelling with stolen documents, and people who have fraudulently obtained an otherwise valid passport based upon stolen citizenship document forms.

Benefits to travellers

3.16 Quick processing: While the vast majority of travellers are honest and pose no threat to their own country or any other that they are visiting, border control authorities must screen every traveller to some extent to determine their bona fides. With MRTDs, and machine verification, this process moves more quickly for honest travellers, and officers can focus on the few problem cases.

3.17 Increased confidence in documents: Doc 9303 documents are a strong defence against the common problems of document counterfeiting or alteration, or that of obtaining documents by fraud. To the extent that the document itself can be made more difficult to alter or counterfeit, and the issuance process can be made more secure, the MRP bearer gains from the increased respect the document has earned when applying for visas, and when the passport is presented for entry to another country or at his own country's borders.

Benefits to airport and other port authorities

3.18 Rapid & efficient processing of passengers: There is a direct correlation between the ability to move large crowds through port facilities and the size of the facility needed to handle the crowds. By processing passengers more rapidly and more efficiently, there is more efficient use of space and a reduction in the need to build or improve ever more expensive port facilities.

Benefits to airlines and other travel companies

3.19 Verification of document authenticity: By linking an automated passport reader at the check-in counter to various data bases, the transport operator can verify the authenticity of the document, run the information against its own "customers of interest" list, connect the customer/document to baggage handling and Passenger Name Record information, input into a flight (or other) manifest, and eventually, verify boarding after check-in.

3.20 Rapid & efficient processing: There is an obvious saving in the time that travel company personnel must expend in handling each passenger.

3.21 Security benefits: But there are also potential benefits in terms of the security and efficiency of the totality of the process, and the avoidance of fines or other penalties for bringing undocumented or improperly documented aliens into a country.


[This message has been edited by jonesing (edited 05-05-2003).]