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Machine Readable Passports

Regulations require that all visa free travelers, including children, entering the United States under the Visa Waiver Program on or after October 26, 2004 be in possession of individual machine-readable passports. Machine-readable passports typically have biodata for only one traveler in the machine-readable zone. Travelers not in possession of machine-readable passports will require either B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourist) visas.

Note: This requirement is already in place for passport holders from Andorra, Belgium, Brunei, Liechtenstein and Slovenia.

The requirement that the traveler be in possession of a machine readable passport applies only to those seeking entry into the United States under the Visa Waiver Program; it does not apply to those applying for visas.

How do I know if I have a machine-readable passport?

Machine-readable passports allow data in the passport to be scanned automatically by a machine. The two lines of printed OCR-B machine-readable data (circled in red in the image of a U.S. machine-readable passport shown below) are the most noticeable features of a machine-readable passport. If you are in any doubt as to whether or not your passport is a machine-readable passport, you should check with the passport issuing authority of your country.


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Biometric Passports

Due to technical challenges, few countries will be able to meet the October 26, 2004 deadline for the introduction of biometric passports. Therefore, a one-year extension has been granted to make it possible for countries to comply with the mandate.

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