From 11 April 2025, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will begin enforcing a regulation that requires all non-US citizens aged 18 and over to carry physical documentation confirming that they have registered their identity with DHS. This policy, detailed in the Interim Final Rule published in the Federal Register, is a renewed application of provisions within the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and is aimed at strengthening immigration enforcement through biometric and document-based identity verification.

The technical committee of the Optical & Digital Document Security™ (ODDS) conference, which takes place in Warsaw, Poland from 15-17 September 2025, has now completed its judging of the abstracts submitted for the conference.

On 17 February 2025, Cameroon launched a new generation biometric ID card system. The rollout, managed by German tech firm Augentic under a 15-year contract with Cameroon’s General Delegation for National Security (DGSN) began with online pre-enrolment, followed by physical enrolment in regional capitals. The new system aims to issue national identity cards within 48 hours of application.

If you started reading this in anticipation of a definitive answer on how digital and physical ID documents can co-exist, I should apologise. It’s actually a personal look at how I might go about reasserting my identity in the event of a major crisis. But like many thought-experiments, you can learn a lot when you stress-test your ideas in extreme circumstances.

Orell Füssli (OF) has reported significant organic growth in its security printing and identity documents activities, reinforcing its position in secure document production. The company’s focus on expanding its core business without acquisitions has allowed it to achieve steady and sustainable progress, driven by strategic initiatives and increased demand for its products.

If you only read media reports, it would be easy to assume that the most significant advances in identity document security stem from digital innovation, with biometric verification, blockchain-based identity management, and digital certificates dominating discussions.

The US ‘Bridge’ visa sticker replaced the ‘Lincoln’ visa design in July 2023, with both versions remaining valid until their printed expiration. An updated design of the Bridge visa has now been issued.

Sri Lanka has embarked on an ambitious digital transformation project with the introduction of the Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity (SL-UDI) programme. This initiative aims to replace the country’s traditional physical identification card system with a digital ID infrastructure, modernising identity verification and access to services for its citizens.

HID, a global provider of identity solutions, has unveiled its role in developing and deploying San Marino’s latest contactless ID card. This new national ID integrates security features and enhanced operational capabilities, representing advances in identity management for the historic republic.

At the recent High Security Printing™ Asia conference in Bangkok, Thailand, Serge Wsevolojskoy, Product Manager for Security Features at IDEMIA Smart Identity, presented a comprehensive technical overview of the company’s new Identity Document Quick Response (IDQR) security system.