US embassy cable - 05VIENNA3383

UNCLAS VIENNA 003383 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR CA/VO/F/P - DLOPES DA ROSA; 
EUR/AGS - VVIKMANIS KELLER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CVIS, CMGT, PREL, AU 
SUBJECT: VISA WAIVER PROGRAM: AUSTRIA PLANS TO EXTEND 
THE VALIDITY OF MACHINE-READABLE PASSPORTS 
 
REF: A) STATE 125862, B) STATE 111324, C) VIENNA 2646, 
D) VIENNA 3064 
 
1.  The Ministry of Interior told Embassy informally 
that Austria is planning on a new approach to meet the 
October 26, 2005 deadline. (Travelers with valid 
machine-readable passports issued prior to 10/26/05 are 
not subject to biometric requirements, and would not be 
required to obtain visas). The GOA plans to introduce 
legislation that would allow machine-readable passports 
to be amended beyond the original date of expiration, 
meaning that the passports issued prior to 10/26/05 
would remain valid, only the expiration date would be 
extended for one year. Once the legislation is enacted 
by Parliament, the expiration date could be amended 
upon individual application at every passport issuing 
office throughout Austria. 
 
2.  Since Austria only began issuing machine-readable 
passports early in 1996, the first group of travelers 
benefiting from this measure would be holders of 
passports that expire in January 2006.  Austrian 
officials realize that this measure would not/not 
affect the old-style non-machine readable passports 
that will be phased out by December 31, 2005, whose 
bearers would in any case require visas to travel to 
the U.S. now. 
 
3.  As reported in Reftel D, Austria expects to be able 
to meet Level 2 compliance by March 2006. 
 
Van Voorst