Peru to Issue 1.6 Million Biometric Passports in Three Years

Peru will issue 1.6 million biometric passports during a three-year period. Biometric passport, which is a document required to consolidate the Schengen visa waiver process, will be issued by the National Superintendence of Migrations and Foreign Affairs Ministry.

According to Ambassador Carlos Polo, head of the General Directorate of Peruvian Communities Abroad and Consular Affairs, the National Superintendence of Migrations and the Foreign Affairs Ministry will issue 1.2 million and 400,000 of such electronic documents, respectively.
 
Thus, Peruvian citizens will be allowed to enter the Eurozone without a visa for up to 90 days.

In 2016, around 80,000 biometric passports are estimated to be issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry overseas. The process will start on July 11 at Peruvian Consulates based in Madrid, Barcelona, Milan and Amsterdam, where the corresponding work committees have already been installed.

380,000 ordinary and 20,000 diplomatic passports will be printed. The latter ones are designed for official purposes, the Foreign Affairs Ministry Representative detailed.

The date on which Peruvians will be allowed to enter the Schengen area visa-free is yet to be set.