U.S. State Department Issues Passport Warning To Americans Traveling Internationally

Digital passports are becoming more common in the United States, but many travelers are still unsure about where and when they can be used. This week, the U.S. Department of State issued a statement clarifying the rules surrounding them.

While digital IDs can be used at select airport security checkpoints, the agency warns they are not valid for international travel—a distinction that has surprised many travelers.

Instead of clarifying matters, the warning has prompted online commenters to wonder what the point of a digital passport is if it can't be used abroad.

Here’s what officials are saying about the limits of digital IDs and why they aren’t accepted for international travel.

The State Department Is Warning Americans That Digital Passports Are Not Valid For International Travel.

The U.S. State Department has issued a warning to travelers that digital passports cannot be used for international travel, even as more travelers begin using digital IDs for domestic flights.

While a digital passport can be used at select TSA checkpoints in the United States, travelers must still carry a physical passport book when flying internationally.

Which States And Agencies Support Digital ID Use:

Digital ID in Apple Wallet California, Louisiana, Ohio

ID pass for Google Wallet
Colorado, Maryland, Puerto Rico

Clear ID Georgia, Montana, Utah, Alaska, Hawaii, New Mexico, Virginia, Arkansas, Illinois, New York, West Virginia, Arizona, Iowa, North Dakota

Although usable for domestic travel, many travelers question the purpose of digital IDs if they can’t be used internationally.

Travelers Are Questioning Why Digital Passports Exist If They Can't Be Used Abroad

Following the State Department’s warning, many travelers took to Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) to express confusion—and frustration—over the limitations of digital passports.

Commenters wrote:

"So what’s the point?"

"The [requirement] to have a passport book for international travel is… stupid. Most developed countries no longer stamp the book anymore, and information can be encrypted in a passport card chip for security."

"[What] is it useful for if it is not accepted for international travel—the primary purpose of a passport."

"Then, what good is it? And why do 75% of your TSA ID verification kiosks never work?"

While the idea of a fully digital passport is appealing, the current reality is that international travel systems are not yet built to support it.

According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which sets global standards for travel documents, passports must meet specific physical and biometric requirements—including a machine-readable zone and standardized security features—to be accepted at international borders.

These standards, outlined in ICAO Doc 9303, do not currently include mobile-only digital credentials, which is why digital passports cannot yet replace physical ones for international travel.

The TSA’s Digital ID Rollout Earlier This Year Left Some Travelers Confused

When the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expanded its digital ID program—like the Department of State's most recent warning—the agency made it clear that travelers must still carry their physical ID.

https://www.thetravel.com/author/karla-demery/

US Passport Delays Lead To Long Lines Of Would-Be Travelers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Britt Johnson showed up around midnight to the West Los Angeles Federal Building, hoping to apply for a rushed passport when the office opened at 7 a.m.

Johnson, eager to visit a dying relative in Mexico, was in line with hundreds of would-be travelers midmorning Thursday when a security guard announced that walk-ins for passport applications would no longer be taken there.

The disappointment in the crowd has been felt across the U.S. at passport offices, which have been overwhelmed by people ready to travel again as COVID-19 restrictions gradually have lifted in recent months.

The pent-up demand for passports has swelled wait times to between 12 and 18 weeks, according to the State Department. That’s caused many like Johnson to seek expedited appointments at understaffed passport offices. Those now take up to 12 weeks.

“It’s pretty urgent,” Johnson said of his travel plans. “It’s pretty important to me right now. So I’m gonna do my best to try to get this thing.”

Now, his only options for an in-person appointment are to try to schedule it online or by phone. Marvella Carson, who was hoping to attend a cousin’s wedding in Jamaica, said she’s tried both, with no luck.

“You can’t get through. You can’t get on their website. You can’t get through on the phone,” Carson said, waiting outside the federal building in Los Angeles.

She’s resigned herself to the fact that she’s probably not going to make the wedding.

After more than a year of pandemic-related lockdowns, people are ready to travel again, but the State Department closed many of its offices last year in an effort to keep employees safe, creating an enormous backlog.

That’s because of ripple effects from the pandemic that caused extreme disruptions to the process at domestic issuance facilities and overseas embassies and consulates.

The department says a backlog of 1.5 million to 2 million passport requests means that most applications submitted now probably will not be processed until the fall.

Rachel Arndt, deputy assistant secretary of state for passport services, said this month that the department is increasing staffing throughout the United States as pandemic restrictions are eased. But she said Americans needing to apply for or renew a passport should do so at least six months ahead of when they plan to travel.

Those without immediate travel plans are encouraged to renew their passports by mail.

Meanwhile, the State Department and Department of Homeland Security have taken steps to ease issues related to Americans abroad with expired passports who are trying to return home.

The departments announced in May that U.S. citizens who are overseas and whose passports expired on or after Jan. 1, 2020, would be able to use their documents to reenter the United States until Dec. 31, 2021. That provision does not apply to travel between other countries unless it is a transit stop.