EU: High-level SCIFA/Mixed Committee, meeting on 12 February 2008, discussed the age at which children should be fingerprinted for visas, residence permits and EU passports and travel documents

EU doc no: 6138/08 At a subsequent meeting of the Visa Working Party, on 18-19 February 2008 (EU doc no: 6952/08) it was reported in SCIFA that for the: – age limit: the vast majority of delegations agreed on the age of six and even a lower age where the national legislation allows for it. Two delegations maintained the limit of twelve years.” The two governments referred to – Germany and Austria – support the 12 years old and above proposal from the European Parliament. The “majority” support finger-printing children six years old and over while allowing any government to have a lower age “where national legislation allows for it”.