From 1 October all Irish travellers entering the US on the US Visa Waiver Programme will need a machine readable passport. Otherwise they will have to obtain a non-immigrant visa from the US embassy.
The rule is among the security measures introduced by the US government in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 2001.
All passports with the personal details printed are readable by scanning machines. However, an estimated 10% of Irish passport holders own passports which are hand written.
These are usually emergency passports or those issued by Irish embassies or foreign consulates.
The new regulations apply to both adults and children, so any minors who are endorsed on their parents' passports will have to obtain one of their own.
In addition, from 26 October 2004, all travellers to the United States from visa waiver states will require a passport embedded with a biometic microchip. These chips contain physiological information such as finger prints or facial imaging.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said it will be in a position from autumn next year to incorporate these chips into Irish passports.
However, no final Government decision has been made on how this may be carried out.
