New US passport features

This item appears on page 4 of the November 2016 issue.

As of Nov. 1, 2016, eyeglasses are no longer allowed in US passport photos. Existing passports containing photos with eyeglasses will not have to be replaced until they expire.

Beginning in late 2017 and early 2018, US passports being issued to travelers will have clearer photos as well as patterns and ink that are more difficult to counterfeit plus RFID chips coated in polycarbonate to help prevent identity theft, among other new security features.