Apple is preparing to roll out a groundbreaking Passport-based Digital ID feature for the iPhone’s Wallet app, expanding its digital identity offerings beyond state IDs. At the Money20/20 conference in Las Vegas, Apple Pay & Wallet VP Jennifer Bailey announced that U.S. users will soon be able to create a secure digital ID from their passport.
The digital passport credential can be used at select TSA airport checkpoints and other identity verification points, much like Apple’s existing digital driver’s license program. This functionality was previewed during the iOS 26 launch but did not ship with the initial release – Apple now says it will activate in an upcoming software update, likely by year’s end.
The Passport Digital ID will appear in Apple Wallet alongside credit cards, tickets, and state IDs. To set it up, users will scan their physical passport and take a live selfie, with Apple’s system ensuring the passport is genuine and matches the user. Apple emphasizes that the digital passport card is “not a replacement for the physical passport” for international travel – you’ll still need the booklet for border control – but it provides a convenient form of ID for domestic use.
For instance, it could speed up identity checks at TSA security or when verifying age and identity at banks, hotels, and so on. Apple is positioning this as part of its vision to have the Wallet app “replace the contents of your physical wallet” with digital equivalents. Currently, Apple Wallet’s state ID program is live in 12 states plus Puerto Rico, covering roughly one-third of the U.S. population. The addition of passports could significantly broaden the app’s utility, since every American traveler holds a passport card or booklet that could be digitized.
Apple has worked closely with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and TSA on the standards for digital IDs. The passport-based IDs in Wallet will adhere to the ISO/IEC 18013-5 mDL standard for mobile IDs (the same standard behind state mobile driver’s licenses) and use NFC and encryption to transmit data securely to identity readers.
Privacy is a major focus: users must authorize each ID share via Face ID/Touch ID, and the system only shares necessary data (for example, TSA’s reader will confirm you are the passport holder and flight details, without revealing other personal info). No biometric or personal data is sent to Apple’s servers.
This latest move underscores Apple’s leadership in mobile identity – a space it entered in 2021 and now is expanding with federal credentials. As digital wallets become more capable, Apple is betting users will embrace the convenience of leaving traditional IDs at home. The company did not give an exact release date, saying only that passport Digital IDs are coming “soon” in an iOS 26 update.
The announcement comes as Google Wallet has also rolled out passport support, signaling growing competition in the digital identity space.
Sources: TechCrunch
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
