All Visa Waiver Program travelers entering the United States must possess a machine-readable (or scannable) passport. Six of the Visa Waiver Program countries have already had to comply with this requirement (Andorra, Belgium, Brunei, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Slovenia).

A MRP has the same information as a regular passport, but also features two lines of characters at the bottom of the photo page. These two lines are encoded with the passports holder's information (name, nationality, date of birth, etc). Check an example of a MRP below:

Frequently asked questions

What if my current passport is not machine-readable?
Many countries issue passports that are valid for up to ten years. Several countries began issuing machine-readable passports only a few years ago, so if you hold a valid passport that is not machine-readable, it will be necessary for you to get a new machine-readable passport prior to your visit to the United States. Your other option is to obtain a U.S. visa to accompany your non-machine-readable passport.

Where do I get a machine-readable passport?
Passports are issued by each country under different rules and procedures. Check with your government to see what the requirements are for issuance.

For more information on Machine-Readable Passports check this page from the U.S. Department of State or to obtain more information, please check the links below:
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of State
TIA - Travel IndU.S.try Association of America