Biometrics at Schipol Airport

Improving border security as well as passenger convenience was the main objectives of the Schipol Airport Privium program. Launched at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport in October 2001. The cornerstone of the system is secure and convenient use of biometrics recognition Technologies to facilitate an existing security process. The Privium scheme is both a service concept and loyalty tool for frequent travellers, developed by the Schiphol Group, Joh. Enschede Security Systems and CMG.

Enrolled passengers who wish to enter or exit the Netherlands are fast tracked into a separate immigration line, where customized kiosks accept their Privium smart card. The passenger glances briefly into an iris-enabled video camera so that a one-to-one verification can be conducted between their "live" IrisCode and the one on the smart card.

The Privium automated border passage system conducts the same thorough checks at the turnstile as if the person were standing in front of an immigration officer. The biometric is used to authenticate the passenger's identity. Upon approval by the system, the individual is given rapid admission into or out of the country.

Due to privacy laws, the Netherlands required a solution that would not have to rely on a central database. As a result, the Privium program was designed with a Schlumberger smart card - passengers who enrol in the system have their biometric and passport data stored on the smart card's chip.

Privium is an opt-in program to citizens of 18 European countries. Besides fast track admission to the Netherlands, Privium provides a number of other privileges, including premium parking and Airport lounge access.

Today, several thousand European Union (EU) passengers entering or exiting the Netherlands are using Privium's each day, and the program is considered a huge success. Passengers have enjoyed bypassing the lengthy and time-consuming immigration and border control lines. At the same time, border control officials can now concentrate manual passport examinations on unknown travellers, rather than "knowns" whose background checks reveal no security concerns. In the first three months of the program alone, over 30,000 transactions took place without any reported inaccuracies.