VISPILOT - Towards European Biometric Visa Border Control

To thoroughly prepare the expected start of the European Visa Information System (VIS) in 2011, Germany has implemented and evaluated the biometric visa border control process in a dedicated pilot project. In addition to implementing all necessary software modules for the access to the VIS, the focus of the project was set on the new feature of fingerprint biometrics. Fingerprint verification is applied to the primary position during border control where the process is optimised for fast completion, high throughput and ease of use. Extended identity checks with a quality-oriented border control process are conducted at the secondary position, where also a time-consuming fingerprint identification can be applied. Several tests were conducted during the pilot project in order to evaluate the VIS border control process. Recommendations regarding the implementation and operation of VIS related systems on the national level have been derived based on the evaluation results.