A live test of e-Passports began January 15, 2006 at Terminal G at San Francisco Airport (SFO).  According to a press release from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the test is a collaborative effort between the United States , Australia , New Zealand and Singapore and will run though April 15, 2006 .

e-Passports contain contactless chips with biographical and biometric information.  The test will assess the operational impact of using new equipment and software to read and verify the information embedded in the e-Passports.  The e-Passport contains the holder’s biographic information and a digital photograph embedded in a chip set in the passport.  They are also enabled with a security feature known as Basic Access Control ( BAC ), which helps prevent the unauthorized reading of information from e-Passports.

Travelers will present their e-Passports when arriving in the United States at SFO, at Changi Airport in Singapore or at Sydney Airport in Australia .