Biometric identification
A hair, a fingernail, blood or a fingerprint: forensic officers take any traces they find at a crime scene that might support a criminal investigation. These traces are used to generate a DNA profile of the donor in order to identify a person. This process is called biometric identification. Identification using biometric data is an important tool in criminal prosecution and thus for combating crime.
The Biometric Identification Division at fedpol processes biometric data using the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) and the DNA database (CODIS). fedpol currently processes over 417,500 identification requests each year from national and international police services, border security and customs authorities as well as migration authorities using these databases. Biometric identification allows the authorities not only to identify living and deceased persons, but also to establish possible links between cases.
fedpol’s Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) will be renewed in 2026. As part of the AFIS2026 project, the database will be upgraded to enable not only fingerprint and palm print comparison but also facial image comparison. Further information about the project is available at: AFIS2026 project
Last modification 11.06.2024
