Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05VIENNA2332
2005-07-12 06:43:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:  

VISA-WAIVER PROGRAM: PASSPORT-RELATED

Tags:  PREF AU 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS VIENNA 002332 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR CA:JARZT; CA/PPT FOR MHOLLY; CA/VO/F/P:DLOPES
DA ROSA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF AU
SUBJECT: VISA-WAIVER PROGRAM: PASSPORT-RELATED
REQUIREMENTS FOR VWP TRAVELERS AND PARTICIPATING
COUNTRIES

REF: STATE 125862

UNCLAS VIENNA 002332

SIPDIS

STATE FOR CA:JARZT; CA/PPT FOR MHOLLY; CA/VO/F/P:DLOPES
DA ROSA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF AU
SUBJECT: VISA-WAIVER PROGRAM: PASSPORT-RELATED
REQUIREMENTS FOR VWP TRAVELERS AND PARTICIPATING
COUNTRIES

REF: STATE 125862


1. ConGen delivered demarche per reftel on Friday, July
7, to Dr. Heinrich Pawlicek, head of the Interior
Ministry's office responsible for passport matters. Our
contact expressed some concern about compiling the
requested information in the four weeks of peak vacation
season, but promised to assemble as much as possible by
the August 6 deadline.


2. Pawlicek was not surprised by the request for
information, having spoken at length on the need for
progress on biometric identifiers at a recent SCIFA
meeting. He confirmed that Austria will not/not meet the
October 26 deadline for Level I certification. He
indicated a delay at the Finance Ministry had caused
funding for the Austrian biometric passport to not have
been available as quickly as he had originally hoped.
His office therefore made the decision to proceed
directly to e-passport issuance, beginning in May 2006.
Austria will seek Level II certification at that time.


3. There will be no phase-in of the new passports.
Passport issuance will be centralized in Vienna on one
date, and all passports - diplomatic, official and
regular - will be issued as e-passports as of that date.
Only emergency passports issued abroad or at the Vienna
airport will not be e-passports.


4. In response to our questions, Pawlicek informed us
that Austria issues approximately a half-million
passports a year, or roughly 42,000 per month. Thus, we
can expect that in November and December of 2005 alone,
Austrians will obtain approximately 85,000 new passports,
none of which will meet the VWP photo-digital passport
requirement. A survey by the Austrian government a few
years ago indicated that more than 70 percent of Austrian
passport applicants travel within Europe. We estimate
that of the remaining 30 percent of Austrian travelers,
only a third would be traveling to the United States.
Using that reckoning, then, we would expect around 4,000
travelers who would normally be able to use the VWP to
apply for visas every month. Post notes that our annual
NIV workload is currently only around 9,000 applications
a year.

BROWN