U.S. Passport Digital ID in Apple Wallet: Setup, Eligibility and Use

Apple Wallet lets eligible users create a Digital ID from an authentic, unexpired U.S. passport. The credential is created on an iPhone after the passport’s photo page and embedded chip are verified, followed by an identity check. It can then be presented from a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch at supported identity readers and through participating apps and websites.

Quick answer: You need an authentic and unexpired U.S. passport, compatible Apple hardware and software, an Apple Account with two-factor authentication, and your device region set to the United States. The passport-based Digital ID is useful for supported identity checks, including select TSA checkpoints for domestic travel, but it does not replace your physical passport for international travel or border crossings.¹

Who Can Create a Passport Digital ID in Apple Wallet?

Apple applies requirements to the passport, device, account, and passport holder. Meeting only one of them is not enough; the Digital ID option depends on the full set of eligibility conditions.

Requirement	Current requirement
Passport	Authentic, unexpired U.S. passport
Minimum age	Passport holder must be 13 or older
iPhone	iPhone 11 or later with iOS 26.1 or later
Apple Watch	Apple Watch Series 6 or later with watchOS 26.1 or later
Device settings	Bluetooth on and device region set to United States
Apple Account	Two-factor authentication enabled
Authentication	Face ID or Touch ID, subject to Apple’s accessibility provisions
Connection	Stable Wi-Fi or cellular connection during setup

Apple lists iPhone 11 or later and Apple Watch Series 6 or later as supported hardware for Digital ID, with iOS 26.1 or later and watchOS 26.1 or later respectively. Setup starts from the Wallet app on an iPhone, and the credential can also be added to a paired compatible Apple Watch.²

A passport card is not listed as the credential used to create this Digital ID. Apple’s instructions specifically require an authentic and unexpired U.S. passport and use the physical passport’s photo page and embedded electronic chip during enrollment.

How to Add Your U.S. Passport Digital ID to Apple Wallet

The setup process combines document scanning, electronic passport-chip verification, a selfie, and biometric authentication. Have your physical passport with you before starting.

Open the Wallet app on your iPhone.
Tap the Add button.
Select Driver’s License or ID Cards, then choose Digital ID.
Choose whether to add the Digital ID to the iPhone only or to both the iPhone and a paired Apple Watch.
Scan the machine-readable portion of the passport photo page when prompted.
Follow the instructions to read the electronic chip in the passport with the iPhone.
Take the requested selfie so Apple can verify that the person enrolling matches the passport holder.
Authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID and complete the remaining onscreen instructions.

For the photo-page scan, Apple recommends good lighting, a simple background, and a clear, focused image. During the chip-reading step, the iPhone must be positioned against the passport as indicated on screen.³

Why the Physical Passport Is Scanned and Read Electronically

The setup process does more than photograph the document. Apple reads data from the passport’s electronic chip and uses it as part of the verification and issuance process. The user also completes a selfie and facial or head movements intended to reduce the risk of another person enrolling the passport on their device.

Apple says it verifies the passport and issues the Digital ID. During enrollment, Apple temporarily has access to information read from the passport chip, the selfie or Live Photo, and the facial-movement video. Apple states that passport data is deleted from its servers after the Digital ID is issued, while the selfie and movement video are deleted shortly after successful issuance or an unsuccessful verification attempt.⁴

Adding the Digital ID to Apple Watch

You can choose during setup to place the Digital ID on both the iPhone and a paired compatible Apple Watch. If you initially add it only to the iPhone, Apple also allows you to add it to the watch later through the Apple Watch app.

Open the Apple Watch app on the iPhone.
Open the My Watch tab.
Select Wallet & Apple Pay.
Find the Digital ID under the cards available from the phone.
Tap Add and follow the onscreen instructions.

Apple currently allows a Digital ID on one iPhone and Apple Watch per Apple Account at a time. A credential already associated with another iPhone and Apple Watch may need to be removed before it can be added to a new device.⁵

How to Present the Digital ID in Person

At a supported identity reader, the Digital ID is presented electronically rather than by displaying a picture of the passport on the screen. The reader requests identity information and the Wallet interface controls the presentation.

Double-click the iPhone side button, or the Home button on a Touch ID iPhone. On Apple Watch, double-click the side button.
Select the Digital ID.
If available, choose the preferred presentation option from the Present menu.
Hold the top of the iPhone or the Apple Watch display near the identity reader.
Review any requested information shown on the device when required.
Provide consent or authentication when prompted.
Wait for the checkmark and Done confirmation.

Apple’s current Wallet controls can provide different levels of review depending on the selected presentation setting and what the verifier requests. A transaction notification or Digital ID transaction history can also show information about a completed presentation.⁶

When presenting from Apple Watch at a TSA checkpoint, Apple says the associated iPhone must be unlocked with its Face ID or Touch ID after the watch is put on. The Digital ID can then be used from the watch until the watch is removed.⁷

Where the Passport Digital ID Can Be Used

The passport-based Digital ID is supported for identity verification at select TSA checkpoints in the United States for domestic travel. Apple also documents presentation at select participating businesses and organizations for identity or age verification, including supported in-person, app, and online experiences.⁸

Acceptance is not universal. Having the credential in Apple Wallet does not mean every airport checkpoint, business, website, or identity reader can accept it. Support depends on the verifier and the equipment or software being used.

Apple originally launched passport-based Digital ID in November 2025, beginning with beta acceptance at TSA checkpoints at more than 250 U.S. airports. Because checkpoint availability and other participating locations can change, the presence of Digital ID in Wallet should not be treated as proof that a particular reader will accept it.⁹

Using Digital ID in Apps and on Websites

A participating app can request identity information through a Verify with Apple Wallet option. The Wallet interface shows the requested information before the user provides consent with Face ID or Touch ID.

Supported websites can also request Digital ID information in Safari. After selecting Verify Identity, the requested information is displayed for approval. When verification starts from a compatible iPad or Mac, the request can be passed to a nearby iPhone signed in to the same Apple Account.¹⁰

This does not make the Digital ID a universal sign-in or identification method for websites. The app or site must specifically support Apple’s Wallet-based identity verification flow.

What the Apple Wallet Digital ID Does Not Replace

The credential is derived from passport information, but it is not a digital copy that can perform every legal function of the passport. Apple explicitly states that it is not a government-issued passport and cannot be used instead of the physical U.S. passport for international travel or border crossing.¹¹

Keep the physical passport when the passport itself is required. A successful Digital ID setup does not make the physical document unnecessary for international travel, border inspection, or other situations that specifically require a passport.

Apple’s privacy documentation also notes that a DHS Compliance field is included when the Digital ID is presented to compatible readers, but the passport-based Digital ID itself is not a REAL ID document.¹²

What Is Shared When You Present It?

Apple Wallet does not require you to hand an unlocked phone to a verifier. For an in-person presentation, identity information is transmitted digitally between the iPhone or Apple Watch and the compatible reader. Depending on the presentation setting, Wallet can show what information is being requested before consent is given.

Apple says Digital ID information is encrypted on the device and that Apple cannot see when and where the credential is presented. Presentation history is also encrypted and stored on the device. These protections describe the Wallet credential itself; a participating verifier can still process information that the user authorizes for a particular transaction.¹³

Moving the Digital ID to a New iPhone

Apple supports moving the Digital ID during new-iPhone setup. In Setup Assistant, open the Wallet portion of the setup process, select the ID, follow the prompts, and confirm that you want to move it to the new device.

If the required software is not installed, Apple notes that the ID may first need to be removed before it can be added to the new iPhone. Because the credential can be associated with only one iPhone and Apple Watch per Apple Account at a time, the old-device association can matter during a transfer.¹⁴

If the Digital ID Option Does Not Appear or Setup Fails

Before repeating the enrollment process, check the requirements that commonly prevent setup from starting or completing.

Check the passport: it must be an authentic and unexpired U.S. passport.
Check the passport holder’s age: Apple requires the holder to be at least 13.
Check the iPhone model: passport-based Digital ID requires iPhone 11 or later.
Check the software: the current minimum documented version is iOS 26.1 for iPhone and watchOS 26.1 for supported Apple Watch models.
Check the region: the device region must be set to United States.
Check the Apple Account: two-factor authentication must be enabled.
Check Bluetooth: Apple lists Bluetooth as a requirement for creating and presenting the credential.
Check connectivity: setup requires a stable Wi-Fi or cellular connection.
Retry the passport scan in better lighting: the machine-readable area should be clear and in focus.
Reposition the iPhone during the chip scan: follow the Wallet animation or onscreen placement instructions until the passport chip is read.

If all requirements are met but enrollment still cannot be completed, the most useful next step is to follow the error shown by Wallet rather than assuming the passport or device is supported solely because the Digital ID menu is visible.¹⁵