What is a Biometric Passport (or ePassport)?

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What is a biometric passport?

A biometric passport is a passport document with a microchip embedded inside it. The chip has a microprocessor in it and contains the passport holder’s personal information.

It is called a biometric passport because it also contains the holder’s biometric information, such as fingerprints or an iris scan.

The biometric passport is also sometimes called an ePassport due to the electronic chip inside. This is a bit of a misnomer, as the passport is still a paper document and looks much like a regular passport.

The microchip is usually embedded in the front or back cover of the passport, sometimes in the middle. It is so small that it doesn’t create a dent and no lumps or ridges can be felt. This kind of passport looks and feels the same as a regular passport, with the exception of a golden chip logo on the front cover.

Biometric passports were created at the turn of the new millennium to combat identity theft and increase border security. Today, most countries in the world issue biometric passports.

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What information is contained on a biometric passport’s chip?

The information contained within the microchip in a biometric passport is mostly standardized and outlined by the ICAO Document 9303. 

The microchip contains:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Face photo (a full 3D map of the face is becoming the new standard)
• Birthplace and nationality
• Biometrics such as fingerprints and iris scans
• Unique chip ID
• Unique digital signature of the data stored (prevents data manipulation and any changes)

These can vary from country to country. 

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Are biometric passports and ePassports the same?

Yes, biometric passports are the same as ePassports. These are two names to denote the same thing – a passport with an electronic microchip containing biometric information.

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Are biometric passports machine-readable?

Yes, biometric passports are also machine-readable passports. Biometric passports also have the machine-readable zone (MRZ), which is the bottom two lines on the identity page.

This means that all biometric passports are machine-readable, but not all machine-readable passports are biometric. Check the front cover for the golden chip logo to figure out if your passport is biometric.

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How to tell if your passport is biometric?

The microchip in the passport is too small to be felt with fingers. There are no dents, curves, ridges or lumps either. Even then, telling if your passport is biometric is quite easy.

Look at the front cover of your passport. If you see a small golden chip logo at the bottom under the word “Passport”, then it is a biometric passport.

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Benefits of having a biometric passport

The biometric passport is the most secure and advanced type of passport. Therefore, it comes with a few benefits that other passports do not have.

Increased security

Biometric passports are incredibly secure due to the embedded microchip. It contains a unique code, making the data inside much more difficult to replicate or steal than the printed information. It’s close to impossible for fraudsters and identity thieves to bypass this level of security.

Faster border crossing

You may have already seen ePassport gates at some of the world’s busiest airports. If you hold a biometric passport and don’t need a visa for your destination, you are eligible to use these e-gates and seamlessly go through border control.

The queues at the e-gates are usually much shorter than the queues at the human border officers.

Fulfilling visa or entry requirements

Some countries have already mandated that visitors have a biometric passport when entering or applying for a visa.

Most notable of all is the USA ESTA system, also known as the visa-waiver program. Since April 2016, all visitors to the US who intend to use the ESTA must have a biometric passport with an electronic chip.

The European Union’s visa-free entry system, called ETIAS, will also require that applicants have a biometric passport. It’s not yet active but is scheduled to come into force in 2026.

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Which countries issue biometric passports?

Most countries in the world issue biometric passports. These include the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, all countries in the EU, the UK and many others.

While some only issue biometric or ePassports, others offer a choice to their citizens. An example is Indonesia, where citizens can choose what kind of passport they want.

A few countries have not yet introduced biometric passports for ordinary citizens, such as India and Egypt.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is the US passport biometric?

The US has been issuing only biometric passports since August 2007. Other passports remain valid until their expiry date, but since most US passports have 5 or 10 years of validity, chances are that your US passport is biometric.

Is the UK passport biometric?

The UK government has been issuing only biometric passports since 2010. All non-biometric passports have expired by now, meaning all UK passports today are biometric.

Are Canadian passports biometric?

Canada has been issuing biometric passports since 2013. All Canadian passports are biometric by now.

A notable difference is that the chip in the Canadian ePassport contains only the photo of the holder’s face.

Is the Indian passport biometric?

As of 2025, most Indian passports are NOT biometric. 

In 2019, the Indian Government began a staged introduction of biometric passports for regular citizens. But after several delays and setbacks, the issuing of ordinary biometric passports has been stalled.

Again in 2025, they began to issue biometric passport at certain passport offices. I renewed my passport in 2024 and I was issued a normal machine readable passport.