State Department Q&A on New Passports

April 15, 2005

U.S. Department of State

Electronic Passports -- Purpose, Technology & Security

Q: What is the advantage of the proposed new "contactless" chip technology for passports?

A: The new passports, which the U.S. Department of State (DOS) is developing in concert with the international community, will provide “one-to-one verification” to ensure that the person bearing a passport is the person to whom the passport was legitimately issued by his or her national government and that it has not been altered.

The new technology builds on countries’ existing infrastructure to offer:

• faster movement through ports-of-entry
• higher passport durability
• global interoperability

Q: What is the State Department doing to ensure the safety of US travelers carrying the new passports?

A: A primary mission of the U.S. Department of State is to protect the lives and interests of American citizens overseas.  We would not issue a passport to Americans that would put them in danger. 

The Department of State is aware of reports claiming electronic passports can be read from a distance.  We are working with the National Institute of Standards and Technology to define and quantify the risks, and are committed to producing passports that protect American travelers.  No passport will be issued until we are confident that we have mitigated all concerns regarding unauthorized reading of the data on the chip.

The following security measures will help us protect American passport holders:

• Chips can only be read at distance of four inches or less, and passport must be open
• Anti-skimming materials in the passport prevent the chip from being read when the passport is mostly or totally closed
• Ports-of-entry readers shield against “eavesdropping” on the communication between the chip and the reader
• One-time, write-only chips do not allow further writing and do not allow data to be altered
• Electronic signature on each chip allows border inspectors to validate that the data stored on the chip is authentic and has not been changed

Q: What information will be contained on the electronic passport chip?

A: This information contained on the chip will be an electronic duplicate of the information printed on the data page of the passport:

• photo
• name
• date and place of birth
• passport number
• date of issuance and expiration

Additionally, an electronic signature on each chip will allow border inspectors to validate that the data stored on the chip is authentic and has not been changed.

U.S. Department of State

Electronic Passports -- Logistics & Costs

Q: Who will be required to obtain the new passports?

A: The new passports are expected to be available later this year. Once they are in place, it would take up to one year for all new passports to be issued in the new format. All valid-old style passports would continue to be valid until they normally expire.

Q: Who will get the new passports first? (added 4/25/05)

A: U.S. e-passports will first be issued to U.S. diplomatic and official passport holders.  U.S. tourist e-passports will be rolled out to the general public soon afterwards.

Q: Will travelers’ experiences change?

A: Immigration authorities will read the chip-enabled passports at ports of entry; other procedures at the ports of entry will remain essentially the same. 

Q: Will the cost of obtaining a passport change?

A: Yes, on March 8 the Department began collecting a $12 security surcharge to offset the cost of introducing biometrics into the passport along with other security enhancements, including Priority Mail delivery of completed passports. 

Q: Are there any other financial implications of the new rule for corporations or business travelers?

A: Because the electronic chip technology may not be amended once written, United States passports would no longer be amended. Instead of amending passports when personal or administrative information changes, such as a name-change, the passport would be replaced. If a bearer's personal information changes and the bearer makes a replacement request within one year of original issuance, the replacement would be provided without payment of a fee. After that, replacement would be at the cost of the passport holder.

Q: What, if anything, will change in the process for obtaining a passport? (added 4/25/05)

A: The process of applying for a new or renewal passport will not change.  The Department of State began charging a $12 security surcharge, as provided for in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2004, for all passport applications as of March 8, 2005.  This additional fee, which covers passport security and adjudication upgrades, brings the total fees for a new passport to $97 and the total fees for a renewal passport to $67.  Passports issued to adult U.S. citizens are valid for 10 years.

Q: What happens if a chip fails?

A: If a passport chip fails to function, the passport is still valid and can be used for continuation of travel or future travel based on the printed data page in the passport. In those cases, the passport will be inspected at ports of entry using the current inspection techniques.  Passports with failed chips will not be confiscated.

If an electronic passport fails, the Department of State will replace the passport at no cost to the bearer unless the cause of the failure is obviously due to negligence or malicious behavior by the bearer.  For example, DOS will not replace a passport chewed by the family dog. 

Q: What happens if a large number of chips have problems?

A: DOS will monitor chip failures for administrative reasons of ensuring that chip providers are maintaining the contractually required durability standards.