Biometric passport: How can I know if the chip is still working? Does it matter?
My biometric passport inadvertently spent some time under the rain. It's not badly damaged but some sheets are a bit deformed and there are tiny brown spots on the side. I am wondering if there is an easy way for me to determine if the chip is still working. If it does not, can I still use the passport? Which countries require a biometric passport or actually use the data?
Also, how much of a problem can a lightly damaged/worn out passport be? Is it more likely to be an issue in some countries than others?
PS: Right now, I am preparing for a possible trip to the US and since there is still time, I will most likely ask for a (costly, turned out requesting a new one was free, for some reason) new passport just in case but I would be curious to know if that's really necessary or about potential issues in other countries as well. The passport in question is still valid for more than three years, still has many free pages and was issued by a EU country whose citizens are eligible for the visa waiver program.
Best Answer
No, it does not matter, at least in the US. travel.state.gov:
What will happen if my Electronic Passport fails at a port-of-entry?
The chip in the passport is just one of the many security features of the new passport. If the chip fails, the passport remains a valid travel document until its expiration date. You will continue to be processed by the port-of-entry officer as if you had a passport without a chip.
(Which does make you wonder why they insist on them in the first place then, but that's another story.)
As for what sorts of passport damage are acceptable and what are not, contrary to common belief immigration officers do usually use common sense. If your photo page or your relevant visas look tampered in any way, expect a lot more scrutiny, possibly even denial of entry if your passport in such bad shape that they can't be sure it's genuine. But the damage is limited to a couple of empty pages in the back, or your Elbonian visa from 1998 is a bit smudged, they won't care.
Related anecdote: a few years back, my country's passports had a rather notorious defect where the photo ID page would snap clean off after heavy use, and as luck would have it, this happened to a friend of mine at exit immigration as he was leaving on his way to Japan. On arrival, he tucked the page back in carefully, then presented the passport (closed) to the immigration officer in Japan, who cracked it open... and the photo page came flying out.
Friend: "Oh my god! You... you broke my passport! What am I going to do!?"
Officer, shocked: "Sorry! Sorry!" Stamp, stamp, handed back passport with a bow and an apology.
And on the way back, he taped the ID page carefully back in, made it home, and then got a new passport. Don't try this at home, kids ;)
Pictures about "Biometric passport: How can I know if the chip is still working? Does it matter?"
Can I read my passport chip?
Among the minimum features required by the system is the Android operating system and the camera feature. All iOs13 + (iPhone 7 and above) devices with these capabilities can use the NFCREAD Mobile Passport Reader application. NFCREAD Mobile Passport reader also performs its reading in Chip passports.How do I scan my Epassport chip?
The simplest way to tell if your passport is biometric is by looking at the cover. If there's a small, gold camera logo at the bottom, then it's biometric. Otherwise, the technology held within a biometric passport has become so advanced and the components so small that you can't feel any lumps or ridges at all.ANTS - The chip in the biometric passport
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Answer 2
Each country around the world implements different passport security and authenticity checks, so there is no simple answer to your question.
However, most modern passport readers are capable of identifying an ePassport and verifying that the chip is operating as it should. Over time, more countries are turning that security check on so it's likely that if you travel regularly you will run into problems (delays and inconvenience while the passport authenticity is confirmed).
The only real way to confirm the chip is ok is to check with your passport issuing agency... or if you arrive in Australia and can successfully use SmartGate, it's definently working :)
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Ylanite Koppens, Blue Bird, Andrey Matveev, Ylanite Koppens