(Adds new passports tariff)

The Passports Office has started issuing biometric passports, providing holders with a more secure travel document.

The launch was made this morning by Communications Minister Austin Gatt ,who said the new passports were being introduced in line with international requirements.

He explained that the new passports contain the same information as the old ones, but the information is held in a more secure manner in a chip embedded in the document.

In the future, the chip will also carry an image of the holder's fingerprint.

Dr Gatt said the introduction of the new passports was also an important step by Malta to meet US requirements for eligibility to the visa waiver programme.

The Passports Office has also revised the tariffs for passports. A new passport for those aged over 16, valid for 10 years, now costs €70, a jump from just under €28.

The minister explained that an empty passport previously used to cost the Passport Office €3 and it now cost €30. The Office has also invested over €12 million on the new equipment to input the details on the passports. That outlay may never be fully recovered, despite the new prices, the minister said.

Passports Office officials said existing valid passports need not be replaced until they expire.

The new tariffs are:

Passport for those aged over 16, valid for 10 years: €70

Passport for children aged between 10 and 16, valid for five years: €35

Passport for children under 10 years, valid for two years: €14

Collective certificate to serve as passport: €85