With the production and IT system development complete, Identity Malta Agency has commenced with the gradual roll-out of the new residence permit for third country nationals.
Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship and Communities Alex Muscat said that apart from the aesthetic changes, the new residence permit will be even more secure and difficult to forge.
The new document includes a number of new embedded security features. Furthermore, one’s personal date will be laser engraved on a polycarbonate substrate card, which makes it extremely difficult to tamper with.
He applauded Identity Malta’s efforts as being at the forefront of protecting one’s identity through technological advancements.
Identity Malta’s CEO Mr Anton Sevasta explained that the residence permit in the new card format will be issued on new applications or renewals, and the existing ones will remain valid until the date of expiry indicated on the card.
EU Member States need to comply with the new card format by July 2020. The new card format will also be issued to UK beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement, including those who will be residing in Malta after the transition period. Eventually, Identity Malta will issue EU nationals a new residence document as provided for in recently adopted EU legislation.
The launch of the new residence permit follows the news that Malta’s new generation e-Passport was awarded Best Regional ID Document of Year, a prize-worthy achievement in combating document fraud and identity theft.