Indonesian e-passport safer with “Public Key Directory” certificate

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Indonesia’s travel document in the form of an electronic passport (e-passport) has obtained a Public Key Directory (PKD) certificate from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The Government News Network (JPP) reported as quoted in Jakarta on Monday  that the certificate was received directly by the Director General of Immigration at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Ronny F. Sompie, in a presentation of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ICAO Secretary General Fang Liu at the ICAO head office in Montreal, Canada, on Wednesday (9/25).

Indonesia became the 69th country to receive a PKD certificate that concerns the security and integrity of travel documents so that passport data are stored properly.

According to the Head of the Public Relations Section of the Directorate General of Immigration, Sam Fernando, with the PKD certificate the e-passport data can be accessed by 69 countries that have registered with ICAO. This means that the Indonesian immigration office can access passport data of the ICAO member countries.

Meanwhile, e-passport holders find it easy to process immigration checks in destination countries because trust in electronic passports is increasing in the ICAO member countries.

Registration to obtain an ICAO PKD certificate is an obligation for countries that have implemented an e-passport to facilitate the exchange of data among the member countries.

The Directorate General of Immigration is also going to have more immigration offices that issue e-passports from nine to 27 offices which are expected to be completed by the end of 2019.

The Directorate General of Immigration will also try the application of polycarbonate electronic passports by the end of 2019 at four immigration offices. In 2024 all Indonesian passports are expected to have used an e-passport with polycarbonate.

Reporting by Indonesia Window