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Much has changed in the ID card verification sector since its inception, and innovations such as biometrics, UV security ink and laser engravings are making the process even more secure
2024-10-17 08:57:44
ENDURING LEGACY
The history of the Panama ID card began in 1916, in the run-up to the country’s elections. It was the first time the Electoral Tribunal issued a citizenship card to Panamanians. This document consisted of a white sheet of bond paper with a black-and-white photograph of the holder. General details of the owner were printed under the picture and its sole purpose was to enable the document-holder to vote.
Honoring tradition
More than a century later, the current Panamanian identity card has been named the Best New ID Card at the High Security Printing Awards 2024. Nowadays, the card is made of polycarbonate and provides the highest security features, which – unlike with a paper card – are virtually impossible to forge. However, the modern card has not forgotten its long history.
Legend has it that the country’s name comes from a fishing village called Panamá – an indigenous word that means ‘abundance of fish’. According to the diary entries of a Spanish captain, his crew landed in the same small fishing village in 1515 while exploring the Pacific coast of Panama. Their memories of the unknown land consolidated the name. Based on these stories, the new Panama ID card has been given a very special design, reflecting the mountainous landscape with the sea and the vast number of fish.
Another legend assumes that the first Spanish settlers landed in Panama in August, when butterflies were particularly abundant. It is believed that ‘Panama’ might also be an indigenous word for ‘countless butterflies’. These butterflies can also be found in the design of the actual ID card. However, all this is visible only under UV light (above), as the cards are printed with a special security ink. Thanks to the sophisticated design, the cards not only look unique and give each holder a personal identity but are also highly protected against counterfeiting.
Safe and secure
UV printing is not the only security feature of the card. The German technology expert Mühlbauer designed the card and supplied the necessary personalization solution in partnership with the company Ultra Tech. Among other innovations, they implemented an optically variable diffractive image device (hologram), a transparent window with the holder’s date of birth, and a ghost image on the lower right side. On the back, two QR codes provide both encrypted and public information about the holder, to be read by authorized bodies.
“[Some details] are visible only under UV light, as the cards are printed with a special security ink”
The Mühlbauer-Ultra Tech Consortium also adapted Panama’s National Youth ID card to the latest standards, in collaboration with the National Identification Directorate.
More recently, the Panama Residency Permit – a document that has the highest security specifications – was released in time for the 2024 presidential elections.
In collaboration with the Electoral Tribunal and local companies, the Mühlbauer-Ultra Tech Consortium set up a state-of-the-art personalization center in Panama City. Here, the cards are laser engraved with the holder’s personal information and biometric data. Another personalization site is emerging in the city of David, the capital of the Chiriquí province in the western part of the country.
Because the container-based software solution provided by Mühlbauer is designed to be scalable, it can be easily converted from an on-premises solution to a cloud solution – either centrally or locally managed.
In Panama, modern processes do justice to the country’s history and simplify various citizen services for the residents of the country between Central and South America.
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