Google Wallet brings digital passport IDs to five EU countries

Google is expanding its digital passport feature to five European Union countries this summer, giving Android users in Ireland, Spain, France, Italy, and Estonia the ability to store a verified copy of their passport directly in Google Wallet, the latest step in a slow but accelerating shift toward phone-based identity.

This feature lets you scan your passport through Google Wallet to create a verified digital pass. However, within the EU, it doesn't work for international travel; you still need your physical passport at border control.

Besides that limitation, the rollout is pretty widespread. It began in the US, then hit the UK, and now includes Brazil, Taiwan, Singapore, and five more EU nations. This expansion suggests the feature could become common rather than just a small-scale test.

How to add your passport to Google Wallet?

Setting up takes just a few minutes and happens right within the app. First, open Google Wallet, then tap “Add to Wallet", and choose Passport from the ID options. Next, place your passport on a dark, flat surface with the photo page showing, and make sure to scan it inside the on-screen frame.

For the NFC part, make sure to take off your phone case and enable NFC in the settings. This avoids most scanning issues.

Once the scan is done, you record a quick selfie video to verify it’s really you. After that, Google checks everything automatically and sends a notification when your digital passport is approved and ready in your wallet. And you can only have one passport per Google account, but it's easy to remove and replace it through the account settings whenever needed.