On 22 January the National Waterway Transport Agency (ANTAQ) announced the creation of an inter-institutional technical committee—jointly with the Ministry of Ports & Airports and the Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC)—to implement a nationwide biometric-identification programme for passengers. A public consultation running until 20 February invites industry feedback on the draft “Política Nacional de Identificação Biométrica,” which aims to standardise facial-recognition boarding processes at seaports, river terminals and airports.
The initiative builds on pilot projects such as Rio de Janeiro-Galeão airport’s 100% digital gates and the “Porto Sem Papel” single-window system. Under the roadmap, the committee must publish an execution schedule within 90 days of the final ordinance. Databases will be operated by federal IT provider SERPRO, with provisions for governance, audit trails and LGPD data-privacy compliance.
Authorities highlight three objectives: 1) shortening boarding queues and eliminating repeated document checks; 2) strengthening security by linking live images to government databases; and 3) lowering operating costs for carriers and terminal operators. The policy also seeks to align Brazil with IATA’s One ID standard and the International Maritime Organization’s guidance on passenger facilitation.
For corporate mobility teams, biometric boarding promises faster crew changes and smoother travel for assignees moving through multi-modal hubs such as Santos Port and São Paulo-Guarulhos Airport. Nevertheless, companies should monitor privacy-impact assessments and ensure that employee-data consent forms are updated where necessary. Service providers specialising in travel-document processing and digital-ID solutions may find new commercial opportunities as infrastructure upgrades roll out.
