GBbabe

My passport was issued in 2002. I have read on the Iberia website that:

"The Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security requires all passengers travelling to/through the United States and Puerto Rico after October 26th 2004 to hold a machine-readable passport, or failing that, a standard passport and a machine-readable visa."

How can I tell if my passport is machine-readable?

Margaretlb

Which country issued your passport?

GBbabe

Ooops! Sorry.

It is a US passport.

Dukey

Look at the bottom of the information page (where your picture is located).

Is there a line of numbers which look similar to those numbers which are imprinted on the bottom of a bank check (you know, with the numbers that look the same as those numbers on scanable labels)?

if the answer is "yes" then your passport is machine readable.

For your next cocktail party:

When you go to the airport and the check-in worker 'scans' the bottom of your passport, what do you think comes up on the screen?

rkkwan

A 2002 passport definitely is machine readeable. You'll see a whole bunch of ">>>"s (I think that's the direction) in the bottom of your information page.

GBbabe

Thanks. I was hoping that's what all those <<<<<<< meant at the bottom.