Foreign Passport for Domestic U.S. Flights: Essential Guidelines

A valid, unexpired foreign passport remains one of the easiest IDs to use for domestic flights within the United States in 2026, even after REAL ID took effect on May 7, 2025. If you carry a current passport, you also avoid the new $45 TSA Confirm.ID fee that starts February 1, 2026 for travelers who show up without acceptable ID.

This matters for tourists, students, workers, refugees, and people without legal status who still have a passport from their home country. It also matters for families, because airport rules for minors are different and many parents worry a child needs extra papers.

The rule that controls everything at the checkpoint

TSA officers are checking identity and matching you to your boarding pass, not checking your immigration status. For domestic flights, TSA lists foreign government-issued passports as accepted identification, and there is no “approved countries” list.

The most reliable way to confirm what TSA accepts is the agency’s own ID page, which TSA updates as rules change. Use the official TSA identification requirements page before you travel, especially if you plan to use an alternate ID.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the practical effect of REAL ID has been to push more travelers toward passports and other federal IDs, because those documents already meet airport screening standards.

REAL ID after May 7, 2025: what changed, and what did not

REAL ID is a U.S. law that set stronger rules for state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards. Since May 7, 2025, a regular state ID that is not REAL ID-compliant no longer works for boarding a domestic flight.

Foreign passports sit outside that system. A passport is not a state-issued ID, so the REAL ID star issue does not apply to it. In day-to-day terms, a traveler who brings a valid passport sees no REAL ID friction at the checkpoint.

• If you are a non-citizen who never had a U.S. driver’s license, this is often the simplest path.
• If you do have a state ID, remember a noncompliant card can still fail at the airport even if it works for driving.

February 1, 2026: the TSA Confirm.ID fee and who pays it

Starting February 1, 2026, TSA applies a non-refundable $45 TSA Confirm.ID fee when a traveler arrives at the checkpoint without acceptable identification and needs extra identity verification. The fee covers 10 days of travel once paid.

This fee targets “no-ID” situations. A traveler with a valid foreign passport does not enter this lane and does not pay the fee. The bigger cost for no-ID travelers is often time, because manual checks pull people out of the normal screening flow.

If you are traveling for low-wage work, a family emergency, a court date, or an immigration appointment, avoiding delays matters as much as avoiding the $45 charge.

Important: The TSA Confirm.ID fee is charged only when extra manual identity verification is required after you arrive without acceptable ID.

Before booking: set yourself up to match the passport exactly

Most airport problems that affect passport holders are not about the passport being “foreign.” They are about the name on the ticket not matching the passport.

Do this before you pay for the ticket:

1. Type your name exactly as it appears on the passport photo page, including spacing and middle names when the airline requires them.
2. If your passport has two surnames, do not drop one to “make it fit.” Call the airline if the online form is confusing.
3. If you recently married or divorced, fix the passport name first when possible, then book travel. Carry name-change papers if you must travel before updates.

A perfect match prevents long conversations at the document checker and reduces the chance of a missed flight.

The airport journey in 5 steps, with realistic timing

Practical backup documents to carry (when applicable):

• Visa foil in your passport, if present
• I-94 printout for recent entries
• Employment Authorization Document (EAD), if you have one

Groups that worry the most, and what the rules mean for them

• International students, H-1B and L-1 workers, tourists, refugees, and asylees generally find domestic flying smooth with a valid passport.
• The larger emotional burden often falls on undocumented travelers who fear that showing a passport will trigger an immigration check.

TSA’s job is transportation security screening, not immigration enforcement. Identity screening at TSA is not the same as an immigration status interview. People without legal status who still hold a valid passport commonly use it to fly domestically.

That said, domestic airports are federal spaces. Travelers should think ahead:

• If you have documents that show lawful entry or current permission to stay, keep copies accessible.
• If you do not, keep your plan simple, arrive early, and avoid last-minute conflicts that create attention.

Minors under 18: the quiet exception many families miss

Children under 18 generally do not need ID when traveling with an adult on domestic flights. The adult’s ID covers the checkpoint requirement. Families using foreign passports often find this rule removes a major stress point.

• Unaccompanied minors are different: airlines set their own document rules and may ask for additional paperwork.
• Parents should check the airline’s unaccompanied minor policy before purchase, because airline counter staff enforce those rules strictly.

Common failure points that strand travelers

Most “denials with a valid passport” come down to avoidable issues:

• The passport is expired by even one day.
• The passport is damaged, even if the photo page looks fine.
• The boarding pass name does not match the passport.
• The traveler forgot the passport and arrived with no acceptable ID, triggering the $45 TSA Confirm.ID fee process and heavy delays.

A foreign passport is a strong travel document, but only when it is current, intact, and matched cleanly to the ticket.