Two big changes and a few minor ones are coming for U.S. passports in 2027 and 2028—and no, they will not feature a portrait of President Trump.
The big change, one that will affect the growing number of travelers applying for their first passports, is that it will soon be possible to apply for a first passport completely on line and without professional passport photos. A selfie routine within the application will replace that. Online applications will start sometime next year; the system is already in place for renewals. Minors will still need to appear in person for passports.
The other changes will come the following year with a brighter blue cover and more emphatic gold stamping, and a variety of inside changes that include more historical pictures as page backgrounds and a ‘flip-book’ effect, a new security trick that will show the image of an eagle flying when the page edges are flipped quickly.
The new books will be issued with 38 pages, replacing both the 26-page standard and 52-page expanded booklets now available, simplifying printing and issuing. While most U.S. travelers have less and less need for empty pages as Europe replaces stamping with scanning and fewer countries require visas for U.S. citizens, there are still travelers, especially business travelers with frequent travel, who still need the pages for visas.
