Passport and visa

Check if you need to bring a passport, visa, or other travel documents. You’ll find detailed information in our travel documents tool.

Travel documents: what do you need?

Which travel documents you need depends on a couple of factors:

  • your country of departure, transfer, and destination;
  • your nationality;
  • your country of residence.

We advise checking the embassy website of the country you’re visiting. For detailed information suitable for your trip, check our travel documents tool.

Check travel documents

Scan your travel documents

To help you save time at the airport, we offer a secure and user-friendly way to add your passport or ID document to your booking before departure. This lets us verify your travel document in advance, which can reduce manual checks at the airport.

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You can scan and upload your travel document in several convenient ways:

  • Using your phone: If you have the KLM app installed, you can scan your passport or ID directly with your phone's camera, so you won't need to switch between devices. If scanning this way doesn't work on your phone, please check if the KLM app has permission to use your camera in your phone's settings.
  • Using your computer: If your laptop or desktop has a webcam, you can use it to scan your document. We recommend the handover solution below for better performance.
  • No camera on your computer? We offer a secure handover solution: you'll receive a QR code that allows you to continue the scan safely on your mobile device.
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The tool reads the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) of your travel document. This is the two or three lines of characters at the bottom of your passport or ID page. This zone contains essential information like your full name, nationality, date of birth, and document number. It is the only part of the document used to extract personal data during scanning. Your photo is not used.

Please note:

In some passports, especially for married individuals, only the maiden name appears in the MRZ. If your booking uses your married name and your document's MRZ lists your maiden name, this might cause a name mismatch. To avoid issues, please ensure the name in your booking matches the name listed in your document's MRZ.

  • We only request a travel document if it's required for your destination. For example, no passport is needed for flights within the Schengen Area.
  • When a document is required, uploading it in advance allows us to verify it digitally, which can help you skip the manual check by an agent at the airport. For most destinations, we require you to scan your document if you're using My Trip.
  • If your destination requires additional documents, like a visa, you might still need a manual check.

If you have a account with us, you can securely store your scanned passport or ID card. If only one document is saved, it'll be automatically linked to future bookings, saving you valuable time for each new trip.

  • Uploading a scanned document is required when adding it via My Trip or your account, as this ensures secure and reliable verification.
  • If scanning isn't possible, you can still manually enter your document details during online check-in or show your document to an agent at the airport.

Entry requirements differ by destination. If you're unsure if a passport, visa, or other document is required for your trip, you can check TravelDoc. This tool provides the latest entry regulations based on your destination, nationality, and travel route.

The scanning technology is provided by Scandit, a trusted and secure solution. It's designed with privacy in mind and fully complies with GDPR and other relevant data protection regulations:

  • All data is encrypted end-to-end during scanning and upload.
  • Scandit does not store any document information.
  • Your document is only stored temporarily in your booking, unless you choose to save it to your account.
  • You remain in control of your data at all times. You can view or delete stored documents via your account.

Adding your travel document in advance is a simple step that can make your travel experience faster, easier, and more comfortable.

Arrange visa

If you need to arrange a visa, our partner Sherpa can take care of your application at a fee. Or you can organise it yourself via the applicable authorities. To check in online via KLM.com, your travel documents (visa or otherwise) must be complete.

Arrange visa via Sherpa

Frequently asked questions

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Travel documents include passports and ID cards, of course. But also visa, residence permits, vaccination certificates, etc. Which travel documents you need depends on your countries of departure, transfer and destination, your nationality and your current place of residence. Check our travel document tool for more specific information about your trip. You can go to My Trip on the KLM website to pre-fill your personal information. That saves time at the airport.

That depends on where you’re coming from and where you’re going, and for how long. You can check whether you need a visa with this online tool.

Yes, you can. In EU countries and the Schengen area, you can also travel with an ID card.

Within Schengen countries, no passport checks are done. You do always need to have a valid passport or ID card with you. That means you can never fly with an expired passport.

Some countries even require your passport to be valid for several months after you fly. We recommend that you check the expiration date of your ID well ahead of your flight.