Machine-readable passports will soon be out of date

The countries in the scheme have until 26 October 2006 to use biometric passports, Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff has said.

Most countries in the EU are affected by the new rules, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Singapore.

The US had said passports needed to be fully biometric by October this year.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement it would "impose a 26 October 2006 deadline for the integrated circuit chip, or e-passport, capable of storing the biographic information from the data page, a digitised photograph and other biometric information in travel documents".

COUNTRIES IN THE US WAIVER PROGRAMME Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Britain, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland

Some of the countries concerned, in particular France and Italy, had complained they would not be able to have the technology ready in time, raising the prospect of delays for travellers who would not be able to enter the US without a visa.

The US says it needs as much information as possible on every visitor to the country to combat the threat of terrorism.

"The electronic passport is the path to secure and streamlined travel among visa waiver programme countries," Mr Chertoff said in prepared remarks that he was to deliver at a meeting of G8 ministers in the English city of Sheffield on Wednesday.

Congress had extended a 2003 deadline for the introduction of the passports by EU countries to October this year, but had refused a further extension.

EU Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Franco Frattini had asked for a new August 2006 deadline for introducing the new travel documents.