China Now Taking Fingerprints Of All Foreign Visitors

Image courtesy of kucinski

Heading to China soon? Be prepared to have your fingerprints taken when you arrive, as part of the country’s efforts to boost security at its borders.

The country’s Ministry of Public Security announced that the new procedure will start Friday at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport with plans to roll out the new requirement to other locations, reports Reuters.

Fingerprints will be scanned for all travelers between the ages of 14 and 70 flying on a non-China passport. Reuters notes that the Ministry has not said if other biometric data will be collected from visitors.

The new policy will strengthen immigration controls and increase efficiency, the Ministry said. Most visitors already need to have a visa to enter China though there are some cities that offer visa-free deals as a way to encourage tourism.

China isn’t the only country with a fingerprinting regulation: Japan, Taiwan, and Cambodia, have similar policies. The U.S. now requires all visitors applying for a travel visa to have their fingerprints scanned.

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