The UK’s Post Office has confirmed that its Applicant Enrolment Identification (AEI) service has now processed the biometric information of more than 1.5 million applicants using 3M Cogent Biometric Enrollment Stations (CBES). The Post Office carries out the enrolment process by capturing applicant information such as fingerprints, photographs and digital signatures. The AEI service is designed to serve multiple clients and is currently being used by the Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the UK Border Agency.

The DVLA uses the AEI service to allow drivers to renew their driving licences. By capturing drivers’ photographs and digital signatures at Post Office branches, the service has automated the renewal process that occurs every 10 years. Using AEI, the process takes an average of 3.5 - 5 minutes.

The UK Border Agency requires non-European Economic Area and Swiss nationals planning to remain in the UK for more than six months to have their biometric information collected as part of the application process. Post Office branches record the applicant’s biometric information at AEI facilities and send it securely to the agency. Once the digital signature, photograph, and fingerprints are received and checked by the agency and it is satisfied with all aspects of the immigration application, it issues the foreign national a Biometric Residence Permit.

“The milestone of enrolling one and a half million applicants is indicative of how effective the AEI service is,” says Michael Hollowich, executive vice president, 3M Cogent.

Martin Moran, commercial director of the Post Office, says: “Our long history of delivering essential government services has made a significant contribution to the success of the AEI service and further cements our credentials as a front office for government. The Post Office presents the public with a friendly, familiar, local point of contact and security for their personal data.”