Passport reader at TLV
Jul 11, 2014, 1:17 am
#1
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 121
Passport reader at TLV
Departed TLV Thursday evening and joined queue for foreign passports. They were looking at people's passports in the queues on the right hand side and direcing those with electronic passports to machines at the right of the hall for self-service processing. The machines were marked "Israeli Passports" so never noticed them before. Does anyone know if these machines are now for general use on exit. Passport hall was quite quiet yesterday.
Jul 11, 2014, 1:20 am
#2
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There are 2 sets of machines in the hall: the older ones for reading biometric cards and handprints and the newer ones. The older ones will be phased out and likely can't be used by foreign passport holders, as you must get a special card to use them.
The newer ones are for all biometric Israeli e-passports. I know they would like them to be eventually used by other places, such as Global Entry passport holders, but no agreement has yet been struck. They require a fingerprint scan, so unless Israel has access to that data (which for most American passports, even the USA doesn't have access to,) I don't see how this is usable by foreigners.
The newer ones are for all biometric Israeli e-passports. I know they would like them to be eventually used by other places, such as Global Entry passport holders, but no agreement has yet been struck. They require a fingerprint scan, so unless Israel has access to that data (which for most American passports, even the USA doesn't have access to,) I don't see how this is usable by foreigners.
Jul 15, 2014, 12:04 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2014
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A friend related the same experience. He traveled the first week of July, and he said that now Israel allows all electronic passports (Israeli and foreign) to use the machines.
Jul 15, 2014, 1:23 pm
#4
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Meaning a USA e-passport could use the Kiosks?? Doesn't sound right to me, but that is huge if yes -- if true I might need to get a new passport (as I'm one of the last people with the non-biometric passport)
Jul 15, 2014, 1:46 pm
#5
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This is what my friend related. I do not know if this is a permanent thing, or if they just allow it during slow times, as OP described. I asked if it is just for GE, but he said that has nothing to do with that. Hopefully someone else can confirm.
Jul 15, 2014, 5:06 pm
#6
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parents are on their way back -- I will ask them to check. They have Israeli Passport and Card so always use the kiosks
Jul 16, 2014, 2:28 am
#7
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I spoke to another friend from the airport, and he hasn't heard of anything like that. It definitely doesn't sound right, as the kiosk is required to identify you biometrically via fingerprint and facial recognition. How could it do that with a foreign passport?
Jul 16, 2014, 5:53 am
#8
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 121
Maybe I didn't make myself clear enough in the original post. The machine I was told to use was just like those at European passport arrivals at LHR where it reads your passport and, I think, checks your face against the passport photo. There were the same footprints marked on the floor for you to stand on so that you are in the correct position. I have also used the same machine for departures at AMS. There was no biometric input just face recognition. There were two machines at the right hand side of the passport hall and the sign above each said "Israeli Passports", I think, in ivrit.
Jul 16, 2014, 6:54 am
#9
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But those machines also check fingerprint. In the USA, most passport holders don't submit fingerprints when they get their passport - only Trusted Travelers, so that's why I'm confused.
(Side technical question: In places like the USA, how do they transmit the biometric data, if the photograph is a regular passport picture taken?)
(Side technical question: In places like the USA, how do they transmit the biometric data, if the photograph is a regular passport picture taken?)
Apr 7, 2015, 3:39 pm
#10
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Anyone have an update to Biometric Machines in Israel? When I last came back, there was an agent telling foreigners with biometric passports use the kiosk. In the departure passport control room it was all the way on the right.
Couldn't try because I don't have a biometric passport...but wondering if anyone knows if this is permanent or was some kind of trial (didn't see any machines on arrival)
Couldn't try because I don't have a biometric passport...but wondering if anyone knows if this is permanent or was some kind of trial (didn't see any machines on arrival)
Apr 8, 2015, 5:05 am
#12
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My friend had a French passport, with the e-passport sign on it, but the kiosk could not read his passport - the attendant there said it happens with many French passports.