I'm a US citizen living abroad, how do I verify my passport?

Passport Verification Available on ActBlue Express Accounts

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.

General Requirements

Verification has two parts: a clear photo of your U.S. passport and a selfie (facial scan or headshot). 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.

Additional information for U.S. citizens living in the EU

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.

Potential other rejection causes or reasons to contact us

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

Still need help?

If you've tried the steps above and still can't verify, get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to help.

Additional information for U.S. citizens living in the EU

We know many U.S. citizens who wish to donate live in the EU, and the wider EMEA region, and we take the privacy of your information seriously. When you verify your passport, we collect your passport image and a facial scan to confirm your eligibility to make political contributions, prevent fraud, and meet our legal obligations. We handle this information with additional protections. See the ActBlue Privacy Policy.

Note, the facial scan is required, and the decline option is limited. You must complete the passport and facial scan check to verify. When you're asked about sharing your images with Stripe to improve its verification and fraud detection services, declining only opts you out of that additional use. It does not exempt you from the facial scan verification itself.

How your information is handled

Used for verification and compliance: We use your information to verify your eligibility to donate, meet our legal obligations, and protect against fraud.
1:1 matching only: Your facial scan is used to confirm that it matches your passport photo, not to search a database of faces.
Processed with Stripe: By verifying your passport, you consent to providing the photo of your passport and selfie necessary for Stripe to verify your passport.
Limited sharing: We do not sell, rent, or trade your information. We share your passport verification status and information with the campaign or organization you donate to, and may disclose it where required by court order, valid legal process, or a governmental request. See our Privacy Policy for more information.
Retention: We keep your information for as long as needed to meet our legal obligations, up to five years after your last donation unless applicable regulations require a shorter period.
Protected and securely processed: We use administrative and technical safeguards, including encryption, to protect your information, and we'll notify you of any confirmed security incident affecting it. Your information may be processed in the United States Learn more on our Security page.