Technology

Save time on your travels, these are the benefits of adding your passport to your Google Wallet

Traveling is exciting, but it can also be stressful. Here’s a small way you can save on time and stress by simply adding your passport to Google Wallet.

Jennifer Bubel

Sports journalist who grew up in Dallas, TX. Lover of all things sports, she got her degree from Texas Tech University (Wreck ‘em Tech!) in 2011. Joined Diario AS USA in 2021 and now covers mostly American sports (primarily NFL, NBA, and MLB) as well as soccer from around the world.

Update: Mar 23rd, 2025 12:52 EDT

When traveling by plane, we always have to have physical identification, whether it’s a national ID, drivers license, or passport. And coming up in May, travelers who live in the U.S. will need a REAL ID for domestic flights as well.

Of course, it’s vital to carry your physical passport with you when traveling, but there are several benefits to adding your passport to your Google Wallet as well. Android phones all have the ability to save IDs to Google Wallet, including passports, which are accepted at some airports (always carry your physical passport as well). Here are some of the ways having your passport on your Google Wallet can help save you time and energy.

An ID pass is an easy and secure way to save your passport information to Google Wallet. Your ID pass is verified by Google. Google Wallet gives you quick, reliable access to your digital IDs – ID pass, driver’s license, state ID and more – all in one place. pic.twitter.com/Fv6g8o64t9
— Android (@Android) January 28, 2025

Why you should add your passport to Google Wallet

Convenience

In many hotels, hostels, and AirBnBs in Europe, it’s common for the owner to request the guests' passport information. Having that on your phone will save you from having to dig your passport back out once you’ve put it away after your travels. This goes for any time you’re asked to verify your ID for any reason while traveling.

Emergency backup

Back when I was younger, we were told to make photocopies of our passports when traveling. That way, in case the passport was lost or stolen, we’d at least have a copy with the information, making it easier to replace. In the digital age, that’s having the passport on our phones, and having a copy in your Google Wallet is a lot more convenient than carrying around a folded up piece of printed out paper with your passport on it.

Enhanced security

Along those same lines, when we are out and about in a new place, we don’t want to bring our passport with us everywhere and risk it being stolen, lost, or damaged. But sometimes you might need that form of ID to participate in an activity or in case of emergency. Having the information on your phone means always having it at your fingertips but without the risk.

REAL ID compliance

As mentioned, people living in the U.S. will soon need their IDs to meet the REAL ID requirements, which a passport already does. For domestic travel and other situations when a REAL ID is necessary, having a digital copy of your passport in your Google Wallet can be enough to comply.

Faster security check

This is a scenario that, no matter how often I travel, I continue to find myself in. I go to the check-in desk, give them my passport, get my boarding pass, put the passport away, go to the security check, and realize I need to get the passport back out again to get through security. Having a digital copy on your phone in select airports will be enough to get you through and much faster than having to dig it back out of your bag.