New Bulgarian passports would cost an average of 50 euro, Interior Minister Roumen Petrov said.

Still, the authorities would try to decrease the prices as much as possible, Petkov said as quoted by Focus news agency.

The passports will contain bio metrical data of their owners and Bulgarian citizens will apply for them after their current passports expire.

Currently 50 companies from EU member states and the US have shown interest in producing the new passports. A selection of the producer of the new passports is expected to be made before the end of 2007.

The production of the passports should begin within six months after the selection of the executor.

Bulgarian National Bank’s printing house will make the final poly-graphic works on the passports.

The national centre for personalisation of the National Police Service will issue the documents. Applications will be submitted at police offices in the region where the applicant has a permanent address registration.

The new passports will look alike the current ones. The chips they will contain will not be visible. The chips will contain a photo and other personal data.