Wuzhong City is scheduled to issue an electronic passport to upgrade existing passports starting the second half of this year.

This announcement is aimed at improving the passport's security performance and increasing the efficiency of customs, according to the Entry-Exit Office of Wuzhong Public Security Bureau, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

The e-passport is an electronic chip that stores the passport holder's basic information such as signature, photo and fingerprint, and will be physically inserted into the traditional paper passport.

The e-passport will be encrypted to ensure that the fingerprint included in the e-chip is only available to the passport issuing body and the local entry-exit office.

The Office reminds holders that they are allowed to keep using the former valid passport after e-passport applications are accepted by the office, unless visa pages are becoming scarce or the passport expiry validity period is less than six months.