Starting from the 25th, electronic passports with embedded microchips containing personal information will be issued.
Gyeonggi Province announced on the 24th that electronic passports will be issued nationwide beginning on the 25th following amendments to the Passport Act.
Passport applications can be submitted at the Provincial Office's passport services counter for Suwon and Uijeongbu, and at each city and county's passport services counter for the remaining 29 cities and counties. Applicants must submit a passport photo and application form, and processing takes approximately 3 to 5 days from the date of application to issuance.
In particular, the "direct application by the individual" system will be applied, where applicants must personally visit the issuing authority such as metropolitan or basic local governments to apply. Minors under 18 years of age are permitted to have parents or siblings submit proxy applications until December 31, 2009.
However, even for those 18 years of age or older, if direct in-person application is impossible due to physical illness or accidents, parents or siblings may submit proxy applications at any time.
Gyeonggi Province anticipates that electronic passport issuance will minimize the possibility of passport forgery and alteration, and reduce disputes surrounding personal identification verification of passport holders during overseas entry and exit procedures.
Meanwhile, the fee for extending the validity period of passports issued before June 29 will increase from the current 11,000 won to 25,000 won starting August 25.
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