# EU Laissez-Passer (EU-LP) — Technical Specification **Document Type:** Technical Specification **Version:** 1.0 **Last Updated:** 2024-12-28 **Status:** Reference Documentation --- ## 1) Legal & Governance * **Instrument:** Council Regulation (EU) No 1417/2013 (form, issuance, recognition; replaces 1826/69). Does **not** itself grant privileges/immunities. Recognised by EU Member States; recognition in third countries via agreements. * **Standards Basis:** Must meet the same **security standards/technical specs** as Member-State passports; aligned to **ICAO Doc 9303** (MRTD/eMRTD). * **Issuing & Lifecycle:** Centralised enrolment, personalisation, delivery, and end-of-life (destruction) run by the European Commission on behalf of all EU issuing institutions. --- ## 2) Form Factor & Construction * **Booklet Type:** Single booklet, **TD3 passport size**. * **Dimensions:** **88 mm × 125 mm** (W×H). **Pages:** **48**. **Cover:** blue; hot-foil stamping; flexible plastic cover. * **Validity:** Up to **6 years** (min 12 months). **No extensions.** **Provisional LP** possible up to **12 months**; its chip **may omit fingerprints**. --- ## 3) Data Page, MRZ & Document Identifiers * **Visual Data (Core):** - Surname - Given names - Date/place of birth - Sex - Nationality - Document number - Dates of issue/expiry - Issuing authority - Holder signature - Primary colour photo plus ghost image * **Function Line (Page 4):** Optional **"Function"** entry (e.g., Ambassador, Minister Counsellor, Attaché, etc.), including flags for **Family member** or **Temporary laissez-passer**. * **Issuer Code (MRZ):** **EUE** (European Union). **Document Category (PRADO):** T (travel) / S (service/official/special). * **MRZ Format:** ICAO **TD3** (2 lines × 44 chars) per Doc 9303; standard passport MRZ content/field ordering applies. * **Known MRZ Deviation (Historic):** For German nationals, nationality field value change from **DEU** (pre-2022) to **D<<** (post-2022) to align with Doc 9303 Part 3; documented on the EU-LP CSCA site. --- ## 4) Electronic Document (Chip) & Biometrics * **Type:** **Contactless IC** (eMRTD) embedded in datapage; ICAO-conforming. Stores digital **face image** + **two fingerprints** (except possible omission for provisional LPs). * **Access Control & Trust:** - **EU-LP PKI:** Country Signing Certificate Authority (CSCA) operated by the **European Commission JRC**; publishes CSCA certificates, link certificates and CRLs (PEM; SHA-256/SHA-1 fingerprints posted). - **EAC/Extended Access:** Commission notes **extended access control** infrastructure for inspection systems. - **ICAO PKD:** EU is a **member since 7 Nov 2017**; CSCA "**EUE**" available to PKD participants for global validation. * **Current CSCA Materials:** - **Current CSCA Self-Signed:** Released **27 Jul 2020**, valid to **27 Oct 2031**; SHA-256 fingerprint published. - **New CSCA (2025 Series):** Released **10 Apr 2025**, valid to **10 Jul 2036**; to be active by **Jul 2025** (with link cert). - **CRL:** Latest CRL publication dates and validity windows listed on the CSCA page. **CSCA Resources:** - Portal: https://eu-csca.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ - Certificate downloads (PEM format) - CRL publication schedule - Deviation notices --- ## 5) Physical & Print Security Features * **Watermarks:** Dedicated watermark on biodata page; different watermark design on inner pages; centred positioning. * **Laminate/OVD:** Holographic laminate with kinetic/metallic effects over the datapage. * **Intaglio & Latent Image:** Intaglio printing with **latent "EU"** image; tactile features. * **Optically Variable Ink (OVI):** OVI elements on inside covers (e.g., "EUE" motif). * **UV/IR Features:** Substrate **without optical brighteners**, fluorescent fibres, UV overprints in **red/blue/green**; additional UV imagery (2022 redesign theme). * **Numbering:** Laser-perforated serial on inner pages ("L" + digits); top-right numbering on biodata page. * **Guilloches/Microprint:** Multitone guilloches; complex background patterns; screen-printed elements on datapage. * **Binding/Anti-Tamper:** Security stitching/binding marks present across visa pages. --- ## 6) 2022 Design Refresh * **In Circulation:** Since **July 2022** (after the initial 2015 upgrade). * **Theme:** "Connectivity" & **space/universe** (EU **Galileo**/**Copernicus**). New UV graphics and specialised inks/print methods were introduced. --- ## 7) Eligibility & Functional Use * **Eligible Holders:** EU representatives/staff (and, under conditions, certain **special applicants** and **family members**); eligibility governed by Staff Regulations/CEOS. * **Recognition/Visa Handling:** Valid in EU Member States; third countries via agreement. Airlines/travel agents check acceptance/visa via **IATA Timatic**; document info published in **PRADO**/**FADO** for inspection. * **Important Limitation:** The document **does not itself grant diplomatic status/immunity**. --- ## 8) Quick Reference — Border/ID Systems * **Document Family:** **EU eMRTD**, issuer code **EUE**, TD3 format. **MRZ**: 2×44 chars per ICAO Doc 9303; standard passport field rules. * **Chip Verification:** Trust EU-LP via **PKD** (CSCA EUE) or fetch CSCA/CRL directly from **JRC CSCA portal**. Extended access control supported; check reader configuration for EU-LP profiles. * **Fingerprint Presence:** Required for standard booklets; **may be absent on provisional LPs** (design note on PRADO). * **Specimen & Feature Lookup:** Use **PRADO: EUE-TS-02001** for exhaustive image-level features and page-by-page security elements. --- ## 9) Integration Notes ### For Identity Service Integration * **MRZ Parsing:** Implement ICAO Doc 9303 TD3 format parser (2 lines × 44 characters). * **Chip Reading:** Support contactless IC reading for eMRTD data groups (DG1, DG2, DG3). * **Certificate Validation:** Integrate with EU-LP CSCA for certificate chain validation. * **Biometric Verification:** Support face image and fingerprint verification (when present). ### For Document Verification * **Security Feature Checks:** - UV/IR feature detection - Watermark verification - Holographic laminate inspection - Intaglio printing verification - OVI element validation * **MRZ Validation:** - Check digit validation - Field format validation - Issuer code verification (EUE) - Document number format ### For Credential Issuance * **Diplomatic Credential Mapping:** Map EU-LP holder information to diplomatic credential claims: - Function/role from page 4 - Issuing authority - Validity period - Document number --- ## 10) Technical Implementation Requirements ### ICAO Doc 9303 Compliance * **Parts 3–5:** MRTD common specs, TD3 MRPs * **Parts 10–12:** LDS (Logical Data Structure), security mechanisms, PKI * **Watch for Updates:** MRZ document-type code harmonisation (affects optional second letter in "P<" code) ahead of **Doc 9303 updates from 2026**. ### Certificate Management * **Monitor EU-LP CSCA Page:** For certificate rollovers (new CSCA & link certs published **April 2025** with activation in **July 2025**). * **Deviation Notices:** Watch for nationality-field encoding changes (e.g., German nationals: DEU → D<<). ### Data Groups (LDS) Typical EU-LP eMRTD contains: * **DG1:** MRZ data * **DG2:** Face image * **DG3:** Fingerprint template(s) — may be absent on provisional LPs * **DG4:** Additional biometric data (if applicable) * **DG5:** Displayed portrait * **DG6:** Reserved * **DG7:** Displayed signature * **DG8–DG16:** Additional data groups (if applicable) --- ## 11) Verification Flow ### Standard Verification Process 1. **Physical Inspection:** - Check document format (TD3, 88×125mm) - Verify security features (watermarks, OVI, UV/IR) - Inspect binding and anti-tamper features 2. **MRZ Reading:** - Read MRZ (2 lines × 44 chars) - Validate check digits - Verify issuer code (EUE) - Parse document number, dates, personal data 3. **Chip Access:** - Establish contactless communication - Perform Basic Access Control (BAC) or Extended Access Control (EAC) - Read data groups (DG1, DG2, DG3) 4. **Certificate Validation:** - Fetch CSCA certificate from EU-LP CSCA portal or PKD - Validate certificate chain - Check CRL for revoked certificates - Verify document signature 5. **Biometric Verification:** - Compare live face image with DG2 - Compare live fingerprints with DG3 (if present) - Calculate match scores 6. **Data Consistency:** - Compare MRZ data with chip data (DG1) - Verify visual data matches chip data - Check document validity dates --- ## 12) Compliance & Standards ### Standards Alignment * **ICAO Doc 9303:** Full compliance required * **EU Regulation 1417/2013:** Form and issuance requirements * **Security Standards:** Equivalent to Member-State passports ### Integration Points * **PRADO:** Document specimen reference (EUE-TS-02001) * **FADO:** Document authenticity database * **IATA Timatic:** Travel document acceptance database * **ICAO PKD:** Public Key Directory for certificate validation --- ## 13) References ### Official Sources * **European Commission:** https://commission.europa.eu/about/departments-and-executive-agencies/human-resources-and-security/laissez-passer_en * **EUR-Lex Regulation:** https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX%3A32013R1417 * **PRADO Specimen:** https://www.consilium.europa.eu/prado/en/EUE-TS-02001/index.html * **ICAO Doc 9303:** https://www.icao.int/publications/doc-series/doc-9303 * **EU-LP CSCA Portal:** https://eu-csca.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ ### Related Documents * **UN Laissez-Passer:** PRADO UNO-TS-02001 (for comparison) * **ICAO PKD:** Public Key Directory membership information * **IATA Timatic:** Travel document database --- ## 14) Implementation Checklist ### Phase 1: Basic Support - [ ] MRZ parser for TD3 format (2×44 chars) - [ ] Document number validation - [ ] Issuer code recognition (EUE) - [ ] Basic security feature detection ### Phase 2: Chip Integration - [ ] Contactless IC reader integration - [ ] BAC/EAC implementation - [ ] LDS data group reading (DG1, DG2, DG3) - [ ] Certificate chain validation ### Phase 3: Advanced Features - [ ] EU-LP CSCA integration - [ ] CRL checking - [ ] Biometric verification (face, fingerprints) - [ ] Full security feature validation ### Phase 4: Production - [ ] Certificate rollover monitoring - [ ] Deviation notice handling - [ ] Integration with credential issuance - [ ] Audit logging and compliance reporting --- ## Document Control - **Version:** 1.0 - **Last Updated:** 2024-12-28 - **Next Review:** Quarterly (or upon ICAO/EU updates) - **Owner:** Identity Service / Compliance Team - **Status:** Reference Documentation --- **Note:** This specification is for technical integration purposes. For legal and policy matters, refer to the official EU Regulation 1417/2013 and consult with legal counsel.