Why can’t I add my passport to Digital ID?

Satchmo wrote:

Why can’t I add my US passport to Digital ID? The phone finds no chip on the bar code page.

I just added my Passport to my Wallet app. It took a few tries for my phone to read the chip on the back page of my Passport. You do have to lay the phone on the back page.

attempting the Digital ID: after all the failed attempts : here is what actually worked ;

1) reloaded iOS 26.1. Three times

2) rechecked two part athentication

3) took my case off

4) this is an iPhone 15 pro max.

5) turned my passport so I was looking perpendicular to the side .

6) at the request to scan my chip:

a) held my phone so the earpiece end was touching the passport mid printed passport square

b) while keeping my phone touching the passport , I tilted the speaker end up about 30 Degrees.

c) don’t move the phone at all after this

this worked for all of us in the group .

bad part , just tried to use it at the Kalispell , MT airport . They said no .

My husband’s passport and mine were renewed in 2021. After many unsuccessful tries to read the chip on the back page, I tried the front pages. Not the picture and data page, but the opposite. It worked immediately. At some point they must have changed where they were putting the chips. It would be nice if they told users about that possibility.

Jeff Donald wrote:

I’m think the OP may need to update his iOS version. While it was a server side update, I suspect they need to be at 26.1 or higher.

Hello~ That is one of the things that I suspect…having posted it twice with no response.

• An iPhone 11 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later, with the latest version of iOSor watchOS.

~Katana-San~

Satchmo wrote:

Now I’ve tried it many times, including restarting from the beginning multiple times. No chip is readable. My password show the biometric chip symbol, and the phone works fine. The passport has no damage.

Hello once more~ Have you met all of this criteria?

• An iPhone 11 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later, with the latest version of iOSor watchOS.
• Face ID or Touch ID and Bluetooth turned on.
• An Apple Account with two-factor authentication turned on.
• An unexpired U.S. passport. 
• Your device region set to United States.

~Katana-San~

You won't likely find many who have had the issue you're having since the ability to add a Passport to Apple Wallet was just released yesterday. But you should do as suggested and contact Apple Support. In the US, you can call Apple at: 800-MY-APPLE

If you're not in the US, that could be a reason why you're having an issue. Posted above by Katana-San were the following requirements:

• An iPhone 11 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later, with the latest version of iOSor watchOS.
• Face ID or Touch ID and Bluetooth turned on.
• An Apple Account with two-factor authentication turned on.
• An unexpired U.S. passport. 
• Your device region set to United States.

”… I suspect they need to be at 26.1 or higher …”

I didn’t see this confirmed anywhere later in this thread … but you were correct.

To create a Digital ID in wallet you must have an authentic and unexpired U.S. passport and an iPhone 11 or later with iOS 26.1 or later, or Apple Watch Series 6 or later with WatchOS 26.1

Sources:

https://learn.wallet.apple/id

As well as in Katana-San’s linked article:

Use your Digital ID in Apple Wallet - Apple Support

The OS requirements being “buried” in Note 2 of both.

My own experience from about 30m ago:

Passport installed easily on 1st attempt on iPhone 14 Pro Max running iOS 26.1. (YMMV)

Setup, Steps, and Observations:

• Removed cover from iPhone
• Performed all tasks in room well-lit w/ natural indirect daylight; all walls are a neutral shade of light gray (eggshell).
• Used a flat dark fabric background when capturing passport photo page; aligning camera to eliminate any reflections from the page’s tamper-indicating coating.
• Phone acquired and read chip with top edge of iPhone held about 1/4” above the center of the inside of back cover with cover “landscape” orientation. (i.e. phone was not actually touching passport)
• Live images taken attempting to match passport photo (i.e. glasses “off”) with only the flat, light-gray (eggshell) wall in the background. Indirect lighting was from “all around” and images were virtually shadowless.
• Received a “successful submission” dialog.
• After abt a 5m delay, received Wallet notification of approval and was able to complete the Wallet installation.

mine worked once i removed my case

I too had difficulty getting the phone to scan the chip in my passport. I went and got the software that allows you to check the chip, and scanned for the chip myself. I discovered that finding the location of the chip was a little bit tricky, and it actually takes more than three or four seconds for the chip to register even when you hold the phone in exactly the right spot. Once I knew how to get the phone to read the chip, I had no problem doing this in the various applications that require it.

To circle back to this. Talked to another level 2 advisor a few minutes ago. The problem has been labeled as "an emerging issue" with no time table for when it will be affected. It's completely on Apple's side. Also she told me that they don't block people for repeated attempts regardless of the volume. She said it was a bug that they are working on. It's not a problem that's on the user. The most productive thing was I found the photo guidelines. It's the same as a passport picture (with the error of not saying remove all eyewear) but it's not shown anywhere in the Wallet app or Digital ID process. Add your driver's license to Apple Wallet - Apple Support It says driver's license but it's from a link Use your Digital ID in Apple Wallet - Apple Support

It's ridulous that Apple expects the users to google "apple digital id passport" go to the third result and then dig for the requirements. And then the picture and motion capture isn't even the problem.

Tried to add it 3 times--twice with my case on and once with my case off. It finally worked the 3rd time with the case off. Super weird indeed, but did see a comment saying to try that. I followed all steps exactly the same way just without the case on when scanning the chip.

Hope this helps!

US issued passports included chips starting in 2006. As long as your passport is valid, it would have to include a chip, because if memory serves, they are only good for 10 years before needing to be renewed. I suppose it's possible your passports chip isn't working as it should, but that wouldn't something anyone on this user to user only forum could help you with. We have two recently updated and issued passports and they both added to our Apple Wallets.

Satchmo wrote:

My passport is 2021 and it is scanned without fail when I reenter the US. I’m certainly not the only one reporting this problem.

I don't know how many people may be reporting this issue. As Jeff said above, the feature was just released today and I doubt that many people are adding their Passport to their Apple Wallet. I wasn't even aware it was open until you posted and I tried it and it worked fine. I did have to move my iPhone around the back page of my Passport a few times for the chip to be read by my iPhone. But it was read, I was able to finish the process which requires taking some facial photos of myself in various poses. Then you wait for a notification from Apple that your Digital ID is now added to your wallet, which took about 30 or so minutes to arrive.