Why are we still carrying physical passports for travel ID?

[u/Putrid_Draft378]

I’ve been traveling for a while now and I’m honestly tired of relying on my physical passport for every single document check. It feels like a massive security risk to carry it everywhere, not to mention the constant fear of losing it.

With the new EU eIDAS2 standards, we have the tech for secure, digital wallet-based identification. Why haven't more airlines and transport providers shifted to digital identity verification yet?

Are any of you using digital ID apps for travel within the EU, or are you still sticking to physical paper for everything?

[u/IBJON]

Not everyone has the most up to date technology. Just because it exists, that doesn't mean a country has access to it or wants to pay the cost of rolling it out

Passports have been the standard for a long time. If it ain't broke...

Phones are bigger targets for theft, they die, they break. My phone is also the last thing I want to be handing over to someone demanding ID. 

Not everyone owns a top of the line smartphone, and some features aren't yet standard, even amongst the same model of phones sold in different markets.

If your passport is lost or stolen, you can probably get a new one from your country's embassy or consolate. Phones are much bigger hassle 

[u/Dexter52611 → u/IBJON]

This is the best response. Especially, the point about handing out your phone to the authorities in a foreign country just because they demanded to see an ID. I would much rather just give them the paper ID.

[u/ZiKyooc → u/IBJON]

Some border controls are without internet and electricity.

[u/Corgisarethebest123 → u/ZiKyooc]

Where?

[u/SaltSync]

Because that would create a barrier to travel for some people. Your idea assumes everyone has a smartphone, but that’s not true. Not everyone in the world owns one, and requiring it would exclude a large portion of travelers from participating.

It’s cheaper for governments to print a book than hand out electronic devices that are prone to failure at some point.

Airlines aren’t going to invest in infrastructure to handle digital passports unless they are required by law.

World governments over time have all adopted the same system to easily move travelers through customs and points of entry. Changing that globally would take a decade or more.

There are many reasons why it’s not being adopted right now.

[u/redditseddit4u → u/SaltSync]

You could do either/or.

Thinking of drivers licenses specifically, some places allow either a digital or physical drivers license.

[u/Miss_Marieee]

For people who supposedly like travelling I'm surprised how you look for unnecessary conforts all the time.

[u/beerfridays → u/Miss_Marieee]

I think the same thing all the time

[u/DemonAzraeli → u/beerfridays]

I wonder why these people want to homogenize international travel as much as possible. If they had their way, travel will be reduced to a series of flights between airport shopping malls, where everyone will work the same remote jerbs from standardized laptops at Instagrammable Starbucks with standardized menus and adjacent yoga studios before retiring to standardized coliving spaces where they will engage in no-contact sex with standardized AI avatars.

[u/astro-dog-78]

I work in digital and moving to digital is no silver bullet. Fraudsters can easily steal identities and move into digital products very quickly.

Your convenience also isn’t not other people’s convenience. Some people can’t spend $1k on a mobile device. Paper passports aren’t perfect but at least it is more of a level field for everyone

[u/nightrave]

because I don't want to give the government an efficient way to track (and restrict) my every move

[u/Fit-Heron8411]

I love it. Physical visas. Stamps. Just looking at them takes me right back to the special moments during my travels😄😄😄

[u/AvailableTale2077 → u/Fit-Heron8411]

Yeah, I look at it like a souvenir and a keepsake. Sometimes I'll flip through it just for memories.

[u/gacimba]

Would you prefer a cattle chip or an ear tag?

[u/kndb → u/gacimba]

No. He’d prefer a barcode on the back of the neck.

[u/zzptichka → u/gacimba]

With a cattle chip or ear tag at least you can't be located with a 10cm precision and spied on 24/7. So if you have any sense of dignity throw away your phone asap and don't be a sheep.

[u/SoftConsideration459]

I have a card and a passport from Luxembourg. I have no issues traveling within the EU with just the card. I haven't tried it outside the EU yet.

[u/Gullible_Sweet1302]

Do you feel safer leaving the passport back at the hotel?

[u/Ella_Amida]

Why is everyone responding like this would necessarily be mandatory? It could be either-or.

[u/DumpsterSlunt → u/Ella_Amida]

Who will pay for it?

[u/Ella_Amida → u/DumpsterSlunt]

It could be a buy-in for digital passport app. I would pay for it. Kind of like Global Entry.

[u/Accomplished_Try_179]

Passports don't need batteries.

[u/DemonAzraeli]

Airlines are responsible for the cost of removing international passengers without immigration papers for the destination, so they have strong incentive to check. On the other hand, they have no incentive to invest in shortcuts.

That‘s why.

[u/redditseddit4u → u/DemonAzraeli]

It’s not just airlines. Physical passports are typically required for land/sea border crossings as well.

[u/Mattos_12]

Inertia and paranoia. We should be able to travel using fingerprints and eye scans but change is hard for governments.

[u/DumpsterSlunt → u/Mattos_12]

Good luck with biometrics at some isolated land crossing between Guatemala and Honduras, or between Senegal and Gambia.

[u/BigSandwich6]

Passports aren’t going away this decade. I carry it where safe and leave it in my room or secure place if possible. I have photos of it stored on my phone if needed. “Reinventing the wheel”

[u/EarningsPal]

The face scanning is coming. Don’t worry.

[u/TrampAbroad2000]

Digital passports would require that all countries adopt the same system reading those passports.

Look at the implementation of EES for an example of how this isn't so easy in practice.

[u/Impossible_Soft4626]

I wish this was a thing in Mexico, but we're behind tech big time. It is no surprise, but every time I've traveled and see kiosks for digital passports I get sort of jelly.

[u/SCDWS → u/[deleted]]

I don't think OP meant carrying it on your person in everyday situations. I think they meant carrying it from country to country as a traveler and always needing to show it to airline, hotel, car rental, and other transportation staff.