Best Banknote and ID Document
One of the highlights of the High Security Printing™ conferences each year are the regional awards for the best banknotes and ID documents.
With mulitple categories for each of the Banknote of the Year and ID Document of the Year awards. The winners will be announced during the conference dinner.
The deadline for nominations is 31 December 2025. Use the form at the bottom of this page to submit your entry.
Award Categories
Regional Banknote
The regional Banknote of the Year Award recognises outstanding achievement in the design, technical sophistication and security of a banknote or banknote series, the key judging criteria being that successful banknotes should combine visual artistry and high levels of technical and security sophistication, with considerable emphasis placed on reflecting the cultural heritage of the issuing country in the note, and the relevance of the overall design and symbolism to the issuing country.
These are the categories:
- Best New Banknote
- Best New Banknote Series
- Best New Commemorative Banknote
- Best New Housenote
- Best New Process or Technology*
Regional ID Document
The Regional ID Document of The Year awards – which recognise outstanding achievement and technical sophistication of a personal identification or travel document programme – are designed to promote the best in system infrastructure and implementation of a government passport, identity or other secure identification scheme.
These are the categories:
- Best New Passport
- Best New National ID Card
- Best New ID or Travel Document
- Best New Process or Technology*
- Best New House Passport/ID Card
The award judges comprise the Board of Directors of Reconnaissance International, the conference organiser and publisher of Currency News and ID & Secure Document News.
Any new note (or series) or ID document (card, passport, licence) issued since the last HSP EMEA event will be considered. There is a cap for each regional award scheme of two nominations per organisation per category.
If you would like to make a nomination, please do so by using the form below and submitting the name of the banknote(s) or document(s) you would like to nominate, details and images, and why you think it should be a winner. You will also need to provide a short video.
If you prefer you may also email your submission to Sam Burns [email protected]
The deadline for nominations is 31 December 2025.
* This award recognises a groundbreaking advancement that significantly enhances the design, production, personalisation, authentication, or durability of banknotes or secure identification documents. Eligible innovations may include new manufacturing methods, materials, security features, printing or personalisation technologies, workflow automation, or digital integration that meaningfully improves efficiency, security, sustainability, or user experience. The winning entry will demonstrate clear practical impact, measurable benefits, and the potential to shape the future standards of secure document production.