Microchips in UK's new ePassports only have two-year warranty, National Audit Office reports.

The NAO said the new ePassports are too new they could be long-term tested for durability and they do not issue warranty longer than two years.

Britain's Public Accounts Committee chairman Edward Leigh said the fact they had a two-year warranty, when passports were kept for 10 years, was "most worrying".

According to UK's Home Office ePassport had been scrupulously test for their durability and it's been worked on improving the lifetime of ePassport.

The built-in chip hold biographical particulars including holder's photo, which are scanned automatically at a reader.

"Although it has been tested in laboratory conditions, the ability of the chip unit to withstand real life passport usage is unknown," NAO's report said.

Identities stored in ePassport

Home Office minister Joan Ryan said they intend to incorporate fingerprint data in passports starting in 2009 to fight terrorism, international crime and illegal working.

This together with the prospect of non-durable ePassport chips not lasting as long as 10 years can lead to uncertainty among holiday makers and business travellers and a possibility of being stranded.