Britain is wary of identity theft. Photo / Visit Britain
New Zealanders travelling to the United Kingdom on their OE will soon find the process more complicated and more expensive.
Travellers going to Britain for more than six months, and therefore needing a visa, will first have to go to the High Commission in Wellington to submit "biometric
data" by being fingerprinted and photographed.
The regulations are due to come into effect on Tuesday and will only apply to new visa applications.
Applications will be denied if people refuse or are unable to provide acceptable finger scans and photographs.
People applying for a visa for the United States or France also have to visit the country's embassy before their application will be granted.
So the 12,000 travellers who set off on a British adventure each year will now have to save money for their airfares, the visa, have living expenses saved and now, for those living anywhere but Wellington, the cost of getting to the High Commission.
Also, to call the commission to speak to someone about applying for a visa, people need to call an 0900 telephone number that costs $2.45 a minute.
Commission communications manager Jonathan Kinsella said the extra precautions were a response to burgeoning identity theft.
"It's very much about validating people's identity and countries all around the world are moving this way because biometrics is now the global norm."
Facilities for people to submit their prints and photo would also be opened next month in Auckland and Christchurch.
"We have wanted to minimise any inconvenience to customers by having that network."
Mr Kinsella said the system was already operating in more than 100 countries, including Australia.
He said passport fraud was becoming sophisticated and governments had to find new ways to combat it.
The fingerprints and photographs would be taken digitally and sent to a databank in London and held for 10 years.
RULE CHANGE
* People going to the UK for more than six months will have to be fingerprinted and photographed for new visas.
* At first they will have to visit the British High Commission in Wellington.
* Fingerprint and photo centres will open next month in Auckland and Christchurch.
- NZPA
