During a Cabinet meeting on Aug. 12, Ukrainian ministers supported a bill that proposes gradually abolishing domestic booklet passports, the press office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced.
The bill must now be sent to parliament for a vote.
In the past, booklet passports were the main form of national identification for Ukrainians. Then, in 2016, the government introduced internal biometric ID cards. According to Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov, issuing biometric identification was among the requirements for a visa-free regime with the EU.
If passed by parliament, this new draft law will require a transition to biometric ID cards when citizens update their ID photographs.
Domestic booklet passports would still be recognized until a citizen is obliged to renew their passport photo.
By law, every Ukrainian citizen is required to submit new photos in order to exchange his or her passport no later than a month after turning ages 16 and 25.
Under the proposed law, every Ukrainian who exchanges his or her internal passport will receive a plastic biometric ID card, eventually rendering the booklet version obsolete in the future.
