Apple’s next step in the era of digital travel is almost here. By the end of 2025, iPhone users will be able to add their U.S. passports to Apple Wallet, a major expansion of its long-gestating but slow-to-roll out digital ID program.
Apple confirmed During its annual Worldwide Developers Conference last summer, it announced that it will add support for digital passports to Apple Wallet. Those with an iPhone will be able to create a digital ID using their passport with the iOS 26.1 or 26.2 update, both of which are expected to be released before the end of the year. The timing was confirmed by the following footnote in the Apple website.
This is another piece of good news for travelers who typically get nervous when asked to show their passport or driver’s license. By adding the digital passport feature, all you have to use is your iPhone to scan the passport. Don’t throw away your old-school blue passport just yet, though. We will try to answer your questions below.
How does it work?
The new passport feature will allow travelers to verify their identities with only their iPhones at certain Transportation Security Administration checkpoints at U.S. airports. Travelers will not be required to hand over their phones; They’ll simply authenticate themselves with Face ID or Touch ID and then hold their device near a scanner to confirm. The integration is based on the same secure, machine-readable electronic travel document chip technology found in modern passports, offering encrypted digital verification directly from the device.
According to Apple and the TSA, digital passports will only be accepted for certain domestic travel and ID checks, not international border crossings (at least for now). That brings us to probably the most important question people have.
Do you still need your physical passport?
As exciting as it may be for travelers looking to carry fewer documents, the digital passport doesn’t mean you can leave your physical passport at home. You will still need to bring it with you, just like people with digital state IDs. They must carry their physical identification when passing through TSA checkpoints.
Apple is pitching the feature not as a replacement for your old passport, but as a convenient backup or supplemental ID option for U.S. citizens flying domestically to use at certain TSA checkpoints. Basically, it’s a bit of added comfort, not replacement, when you’re at the airport. And, as we mentioned above, travelers will still need to pack old-school blue book passports for any overseas trips.
Expanding the digital ID program
The launch of the digital passport represents the next phase of Apple’s digital ID program, which has grown slowly but steadily over the past four years. Until now, the use of digital driver’s licenses in Apple Wallet has been limited to a patchwork of cooperating states and territories. The passport feature, on the other hand, applies to all US citizens, regardless of where they live, although its use will depend on whether you are at an airport with TSA checkpoints that have assistive technology.
Apple Wallet currently supports digital IDs in the following 11 US states and territories:
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- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Iowa
- Maryland
- Mountain
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Puerto Rican
This list will continue to expand as more states adopt Apple’s secure framework for identity verification. Still, even in participating states, users are encouraged to carry their physical IDs along with their digital ones, reflecting Apple’s cautious approach to standards adoption and compliance. Again, think complementary technology, not replacement.
In a nutshell
For frequent travelers, Apple’s passport integration is another step toward streamlining the check-in and security experience, especially at airports with supported TSA checkpoints. You will be able to go through national checkpoints a little faster without having to take out your printed credentials, since you will be able to authenticate simply through your iPhone or Apple Watch. You can expect the feature to arrive via iOS 26.1 or 26.2 later this year.
Apple’s move toward a digital travel identity follows in the footsteps of Google, which launched passport integration in Google Wallet in late 2024. Over the past decade, Apple has transformed its mobile wallet into a one-stop shop for travel, allowing users to do everything from adding digital hotel room keys to storing transit cards for easy bus and subway access in New York City. The passport feature represents the latest step in transforming the way we travel and is expected to prove popular enough to spur more airports to upgrade their own checkpoint technology.
As stressful as traveling can be, any time you can save with a digital shortcut is welcome. People traveling with children should also appreciate this because it will mean one less thing they have to go through security.
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