The British government has said it will introduce personal identifiers like fingerprints and face recognition on passports and driving licences to help tackle a growing security threat and deter illegal immigrants.
The use of so-called biometric technology in existing documents will be the first step in a process that will lead to a voluntary identity card scheme and, potentially, the introduction of compulsory cards, Home Secretary Mr David Blunkett said.
The government, faced with opposition from civil liberties groups and an internal split over the issue, last week deferred a decision on compulsory cards until later in the decade.
Mr Blunkett, setting out his plans for identity cards to parliament, said the majority of the population will have biometric documents such as passports or identity cards by 2013.
Biometric technology, which also includes iris recognition, will allow the government to crack down on identity theft, illegal immigration and will help fight terrorism, he said.
"We intend to proceed incrementally, beginning by establishing a database and introducing new technology in passports and driving licences," Mr Blunkett said.
That would be followed by a voluntary card scheme, designed to crack down on exploitation of Britain's welfare services.
"The final decision on a move to the second stage of the scheme, which involves compulsion, will rest with parliament," Mr Blunkett added.
Britain is one of only a few European countries that do not have an identity card scheme but plans to introduce one have split Prime Minister Tony Blair's cabinet, forcing the government to back off from the idea of compulsory cards.