I'm a US citizen living abroad, how do I verify my passport?
If you're a U.S. citizen living abroad, you may be able to legally donate to campaigns and organizations through your ActBlue Express account. Upload a photo of your passport to verify your identity on the Contact Information page in your account profile.
Requirements
Verification has two parts: a clear photo of your U.S. passport and a selfie. If we can't match either one, you'll see the message “We are unable to verify your U.S. passport.”
Political donations made outside the United States require that the name on the contribution exactly match the name on your passport. This includes spelling and any use of a middle name. Any differentiation between the two will cause the passport verification to fail.
Image files of your passport must be in color and saved as a .png or .jpg file.
Why was my passport rejected?
Most verification failures come down to photo quality, and those are easy to fix. Check the list below for possible reasons for rejection and follow the troubleshooting tips for improving your submission. You can retry verification up to 5 times within 10 minutes. After that, wait for the window to reset before trying again.
Tips for your submissions
A higher-quality image dramatically increases your chance of being verified successfully.
- Use a phone camera: mobile cameras usually take sharper photos than a webcam.
- Keep it in focus: hold steady, avoid shots that are too dark or too bright, and avoid glare.
- Show the whole passport: lay it flat on a surface and don't cover any part of it.
- Do not block any part of your face: for the selfie, remove sunglasses, masks, or other accessories.
- Use even lighting: find soft, ambient light. Avoid overhead lights that cast shadows, and don't sit in front of a bright light that washes out your face or adds glare.
Troubleshoot your rejected submissions
Check for any of these issues, adjust, and try again:
- Blurry photo: hold your device steady and let the camera focus before capturing.
- Damaged or unreadable passport: retake the photo if the issue is clarity; if the passport itself is physically damaged, you may need to replace it to complete verification.
- Expiration date: submissions must be made with an active passport that is not expired.
- Glare, shadows, or poor lighting: move to even, ambient light and avoid reflections on the page.
- Low-resolution image: use a phone camera rather than a webcam for a sharper photo.
- Name mismatch: the name on your contribution must match the name on your passport.
- Part of the passport cut off: fit the entire document inside the frame.
- Selfie doesn't match your passport: remove sunglasses, masks, or hats, and make sure your face is well-lit.
- Wrong document uploaded: upload your U.S. passport, not another form of ID.
If your photo wasn’t the issue and you tried all the troubleshooting options, your passport may have been rejected for one of these reasons. Wait a moment and try again. Reach out to us if it keeps happening:
- Fraud detection
- Technical or processing error
- Verification timed out