- PKI tender nears conclusion
Sri Lanka is setting its sights on a February 2026 commencement for the issuance of e-passports, as the critical tender process for the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and personalisation components moves towards an anticipated conclusion by November of this year, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala informed The Sunday Morning.
Wijepala confirmed that the e-passport initiative was being pursued through a single, comprehensive procurement for the PKI.
He elaborated that the Government had decided to proceed with the order originally placed by the previous administration – a decision that has already secured the Attorney General’s approval.
“The primary focus now is on finalising the agreement related to the PKI, which is fundamental to the security and personalisation features of the e-passports,” the Minister stated.
He emphasised that the aim was not to overcomplicate the process, as many aspects of the existing agreement were clear, leaving the personalisation component as the key area for agreement.
The procurement, formally designated by IFB No: DIE/PRO/PKI/2025, is being managed by the Controller General of the Department of Immigration and Emigration.
It is structured as an International Competitive Bidding (ICB) process, employing a Single Stage Two-Envelope bidding procedure. The procurement documents, detailing the ‘Procurement of Issuance System and Relevant Public Key Infrastructure Components for Personalisation of e-Passports,’ became available from 28 April.
Bidders are required to meet specific eligibility criteria, including at least five years of experience in e-passport personalisation and issuance solution implementation, with a track record of completing projects that have issued a minimum of three million e-passports.
Furthermore, bidders need to have delivered or be operating at least two e-passport personalisation solutions, each valued at a minimum of $ 15 million, within the last five years, with at least one such project being a bidder-operated issuance service incorporating a PKI solution.
ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001 certifications are mandatory, alongside a minimum average annual turnover of $ 10 million over the last three years and access to financial resources of at least $ 1.8 million.
Bids are required to be accompanied by a bid security of no less than Rs. 55 million, valid until 12 January 2026. Wijepala stated that the deadline for submissions had now been set for 30 July.
Addressing the deal with Thales and Just in Time Technologies (JITT), the Minister stated that in total, approximately one million machine-readable passports had been procured as a temporary measure, with the remaining balance of the original five million order to be fulfilled by e-passports.
Wijepala further elaborated that these remaining e-passports would not be delivered in a single consignment. Instead, a phased delivery schedule, likely comprising at least 10 segments, will be established to ensure a steady supply as required.
Although the PKI tender has been published and is slated to close on 30 July, the Minister acknowledged potential delays stemming from the adjudication process, anticipated appeals, and possible litigation. Considering these factors, the earliest possible award of the tender is projected for the end of October.
Following the tender award, an estimated three months will be needed for software preparation, internal processing, and the shipment of the e-passports to Sri Lanka. This timeline ultimately sets the target of February 2026 for the commencement of e-passport issuance, following an initial test run.