Which passports are valid?

If you currently have a valid passport, you can assume that it is biometric. Biometric passports have been available since the beginning of November 2005. Since the passport is valid for a maximum of 10 years, older documents can no longer be used for several years.
Many users are looking for a chip in their biometric passports. This chip is present but not visible to the naked eye. It is located in the passport cover. On the front, there is a white circle with a white line on a black background. That marks the passport as biometric.

In general, the question should not arise, because every German citizen can apply for a passport. Age doesn't matter. If you do not have a passport for any reason, you must apply for a visa. This is an option for holders of temporary passports and children's passports. Entry is not possible with an identity card, even with a visa. The visa is called a B-1/B-2 visa. It can take several weeks for travellers to hold the document in their hands. The costs are higher, and the expenditure is not insignificant. Applicants must undergo an interview at the consulate.

The biometric passports contained personal data, including first and last name, nationality, and date of birth. Additionally, since 1 November 2007, the passport has stored two fingerprints.

Anyone in the euro area with their family may not have a passport. It was also not necessary until now, because the journey is possible here without problems with the passport. The passport can be an insignificant cost factor for larger families. Important: Everyone needs a passport. You also need a passport if you want to travel to the States with your three-year-old son. Please do not forget: entering the country with a children's passport is impossible. The following documents must be submitted for each traveller:
A biometric passport photo. The minimum size is 35 x 45 millimetres.
Event your old passport
An ID card 

Travellers without passports must present a civil status, birth, or marriage certificate.
The costs depend on the age and the number of pages. The document costs 13 euros for up to 12 years. For up to 24 years, the pass costs 37.50 euros for 32 pages (59.90 euros for 48 pages). The document is valid for six years up to 24 years. The passport is valid for 10 years from age 24 and costs 60 Euros with 32 pages. If you need more pages, you pay 82 Euros. This passport now has 48 pages.
The machining time is four to six weeks. However, you should not rely on it, because it can take longer.
An express passport is issued to tourists after 72 hours.
Practice often looks different. One is in the middle of the travel preparations, and five days before the journey, some begin to apply for a passport. With a regular passport, you have no luck. The authorities do not recognise the temporary passport. What to do. The solution is quite simple. An express passport takes 72 hours. This does not include Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. These must take applicants into account. The express passport costs a surcharge of 32 Euro on the regular price.

An ESTA can only be applied for with a valid passport. If you want to enter with a temporary or children's passport, you need a visa. This is hardly worth it, because the application takes longer and the costs are higher. If you still need a passport quickly, it is better to apply for an express passport at the citizens' office of your place of residence. This costs an additional fee but is still less than the visa.