Technology

Innovative mobile app using Regula SDK has improved efficiency of border control in Portugal

Regula has recently cooperated with the Portuguese software developers Present Technologies to help launch SEF Mobile application. The app was designed by the Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service (SEF), in order to give a response to the new demand for more efficient and fast border control checks, imposed by new migration policies.

Due to the integration of Regula Document Reader SDK into the app, SEF Mobile allows for reliable document authentication just with the use of a smartphone without handling and touching the document while checking. In only one month after the launch, SEF Mobile has secured over 75 000 border control inspections.

The app was initially developed for use at airports and maritime borders. However, land borders became a new priority imposed by the pandemic. New requirements came up when the solution was already in the final stage of testing. Adaptation to the new reality was completed just in 2 weeks.

Erica Santos, SEF inspector who is responsible for the operationalization of the solution, says “SEF Mobile has become an essential tool to increase the efficiency and safety of SEF inspectors on the various land border posts. Simply and instantly, it allows the gathering and validation of a set of data from several identifying documents, without the need for physical contact between said documents and the inspectors.”

SEF Mobile has become one more smart solution that uses Regula Document Reader SDK to contribute to minimizing the effects of the pandemic. “Regula is proud to be involved in projects of national significance. Mobile solutions have obviously been a trend during recent years, but in the current situation the requirement for mobility has even increased. Being flexible, our solution allows for quick adaptation to specific customer’s needs and can be used on various types of devices and operating systems. The company’s technologies are being used for border control in more than 100 countries, so our experience helps to take into account all the nuances of document verification at all types of border checkpoints”, says Nikita Kolesnev, deputy director at Regula.