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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Biometric chips not compulsory in ID cards

Belgrade, 11 January 2007

Serbian Minister of Interior Dragan Jocic announced that at its session today the government will pass a decree prescribing that biometric chips will not be a compulsory part of personal identification cards.

Dragan Jocic

In a statement to the Beta news agency, Jocic explained that the decree will help specify the Law on personal identification cards adopted on July 14, 2006 and to be enforced on January 27 this year.

He said that citizens who had stated doubts and fears as to the possible breach of privacy through chips no longer have to fear since the decree envisages that chips will not be an obligatory part of new personal identification cards.

At the same time he said that the guiding principle will be that there will be no microcontroller, or chip, in ID cards, but anyone who wants to have it may do so.

According to Jocic, once the decree is adopted, the Minister of Interior has to compose a rulebook on the application form for the ID card thus rounding up the documentation on this issue.

The Minister specified that the form will contain the following data: name, surname, gender, date and place of birth, the Unique Master Citizen Number (JMBG) and pictures of biometric data (a photograph, finger print and signature).

He explained that the Law envisages space for the contact microcontroller on the ID card and space for machine-readable zone for the purpose of automatic reading of data such as the person's nationality, address, and parent's JMBG.

Furthermore, Jocic said that the Ministry representatives have agreed with the Institute for Manufacturing Banknotes and Coins (ZIN) that all forms for IDs be printed at the Institute.

Jocic recalled that the equipment for making IDs and other cards was purchased in 2002, adding that the data input will be carried out by the interior ministry.