Travelling to the US? Beware… if your passport is not biometric you will be turned away!

Travelling to the US? Beware… if your passport is not biometric you will be turned away!

I was horrified to hear a story this week about a family who had booked a trip to Florida only to be refused travel because the father did not have a biometric passport.

The family had valid British passports valid for more than 6 months, they had obtained the visa on-line and had paperwork to verify this, yet still the US would not allow the father to travel. The other members of the family made the difficult decision to travel on the holiday while poor dad had to stay at home and arrange a replacement passport in order to join them a few days later. With a bill of over £500, it was not a very cheap mistake.

So what was different about the father’s passport? Why was he refused entry into the US?

He was not in possession of a biometric passport.

Any passports issued from 2007 have a logo on the front that looks like a camera.

This logo contains an electronic chip with essential information and travel to the US is forbidden without it, regardless of the purpose of your trip. You can apply for an ESTA – (electronic system for travel authorisation) which is a screened, pre-paid visa programme and still be refused travel at the airport.

This news seems to be the best kept secret because everyone I have spoken to had no idea of the change to the regulations. This situation could have happened to anyone!

Would it not have been common sense to wait another year so that everyone would be covered by the new passport?

Should this not be communicated a little better?

It is estimated that over a million people still have the old style of passport and some of these could be caught out by this new rule if it is not communicated properly.

I obtained a new passport last year but didn’t notice the logo on the front.

Are you due to travel to the US this year?

Did you know about the new Biometric passports?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for reading!

Love Rosie xxx