Belgium has long been known for its cultural heritage, including its comic strips, which are famous worldwide. In early 2022, Belgium launched a new passport design that reflects this rich tradition, integrating comic strip characters into the document’s security features. This innovative approach not only highlights the country’s cultural assets but also incorporates advanced security measures to protect the integrity of the passport. This web page will take you through the journey of creating this unique passport, the challenges faced, and how they were overcome. We'll also provide an overview of the security features that make this document both secure and representative of Belgian culture.
The concept and design of the new Belgian passport
The Belgium Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs has chosen to renew its relationship with the consortium run by Zetes, and including Thales in 2020.
When it came time to redesign the Belgian passport, the decision was made to move away from traditional themes such as landscapes and historical buildings.
Instead, our customer, the Belgian Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Directorate Travel & Identity Documents, chose to feature characters from well-known Belgian comic strips.
This decision was driven by several factors:
- Cultural Heritage: Belgium is home to some of the world's most famous comic strips, including The Smurfs and Tintin. These characters are part of the country’s cultural heritage and are recognized internationally.
- Modern Appeal: The comic strip theme offers a young, modern, and artistic feel to the passport, making it more attractive to both Belgian citizens and passport control officers around the world.
- Security Integration: The comic strip design allowed for innovative ways to incorporate security features into the passport, making it harder to counterfeit. In total, the passport design includes characters from 14 different comic strip series created by 18 Belgian authors, representing the country’s diverse regions. This choice of theme was not only a celebration of Belgium's cultural output but also a strategic move to enhance the passport's security.
Security Features embedded in the Design
The Belgian passport’s design is not just about aesthetics; it’s also about security. The document features two different types of design on each page:
- Visible Offset: This technique involves the use of only the contours of comic strip characters and landscapes. These contours are filled with various security elements, including microtext, which makes it difficult for counterfeiters to replicate.
- UV Offset: Under UV light, the detailed images of the comic strip characters are revealed, providing an additional layer of security. This feature allows border control officers to verify the authenticity of the passport quickly and effectively. These design choices, combined with digital personalization techniques, make the Belgian passport a secure document that is challenging to forge.
Key security features of the new passport
The data page is made of polycarbonate, a material known for its durability and security. It includes microtexts and other security features that are personalized for each passport. These features, along with many others, make the Belgian passport one of the most secure in the world. The combination of Thales’s advanced security technologies and culturally significant design elements ensures that this document not only serves its practical purpose but also stands as a symbol of Belgian identity. 48 different security elements, many of which are innovative combinations of existing technologies. Some of the most notable features include: self-authentication of hidden personal information in the page 3 secondary portrait, serial number edge marking, secondary portrait on data page reverse side, intaglio printing, hinge laser marking, diffractive surface embossing and many other.
Belgium's new passport recognition
The Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs received the "Best New Passport 2022" award at the HSP EMEA (High Security Printing, Europe, Middle-East and Africa) conference in Tallinn.
In the same year, the development of the new Belgian passport was listed as one of the world’s 50 Most Influential Projects in 2022 by the Project Management Institute: it was ranked 28th in the general ranking and 2nd in the government category.
Expert collaboration
The complexity of the project prompted the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs to seek external expertise in order to ensure the success of the passport initiative. Their collaboration extended to engaging with various experts and organizations (such as the fraud office of the Belgian Federal Police), with Thales playing a crucial role in shaping the design and implementing the necessary security features of the document. Belgium’s new passport is more than just a travel document; it’s a celebration of the country’s rich cultural heritage and a showcase of cutting-edge security technology. By incorporating beloved comic strip characters into the design, the Thales team, as part of the consortium run by Zetes, not only created a visually appealing document but also enhanced its security features in innovative ways.