Greece slow in upgrading IDs, despite visa warning

Despite warnings that Greece could be thrown out of Washington’s visa waiver program, progress in upgrading Greek identity cards in line with European Union and US standards remains slow.

Sources told Kathimerini that authorities have yet to decide on the method to be followed in choosing a supplier for the new documents. A decision is expected in the coming days, according to the same sources.

Following a proposal put forward by a committee of experts that worked on the issue in December, the new ID cards, of a standard credit card size, are expected to include a microchip that will store two finger prints and one photograph. Data will be laser-engraved.

Greece had agreed to replace its existing ID cards by 2006 and the pressure for it to do so has been stepped up following the terrorist attacks in Paris, as the existing cards are deemed too easy to forge