The price for a biometric passport in Ukraine is one of the lowest in Europe, and a further decrease will lead to data protection being of a lower quality, Ukraina Printing House has told Interfax-Ukraine.

"A biometric passport produced at Ukraina Printing House costs UAH 261. If [we] abandon a couple of protection levels, the blank will be even cheaper, but European experts are unlikely to accept such an economy enthusiastically," the press service of Ukraina Printing House said.

The company stated that a few years ago the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry had bought biometric passports from a supplier, with EDAPS concern offering UAH 330 as the price for the passport. However, that version of the passport had fewer levels of protection compared to the current one, the press service noted.

According to the official sources Ukraina Printing House referred to, Georgians pay EUR 44 for a biometric passport, the price in Austria is EUR 76, in Armenia – EUR 119, the UK – EUR 88, Italy – EUR 44.6, Lithuania – EUR 48 and Poland – EUR 33.6.

"When getting a passport from the State Border Guard Service, a Ukrainian will have to pay UAH 518 (EUR 27.7 under the current rate UAH 18.7/EUR 1) with all the levies and charges," the company stated.

As for reports from a number of media outlets that the price of a passport in Moldova is EUR 7, Ukraina Printing House referred to the official website of country's relevant agency, which showed that the price for a passport in Moldova is EUR 37.

"Thus, all the talks by some 'analysts' on the price of Moldovan passport being EUR 7 shows their incompetency," the press service of Ukraina Printing House said.