In place of a passport, you can use WHTI-compliant documents like passport cards, trusted traveler's cards, and NEXUS cards. While these allow you to travel to these regions by sea and road, they are not acceptable for international flights.

If you need to travel but do not have a valid passport, your options depend entirely on your destination and nationality. For domestic travel within the United States in 2026, you can use any REAL ID-compliant identification, such as a state-issued driver's license or a military ID. For international travel, U.S. citizens can use a U.S. Passport Card or an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) for "closed-loop" cruises to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Canada, or for land border crossings. If you are an Indian citizen in 2026, you can travel to Nepal and Bhutan without a passport by presenting a valid Voter ID or, in specific entry points, a physical Aadhaar card. If you are a citizen of a Schengen Area country, you can travel freely across most of Europe using just your national ID card. In an emergency situation where your passport is lost or stolen while abroad, you should immediately contact your nearest embassy or consulate to apply for an "Emergency Travel Document," which is a temporary, single-use paper that allows you to return to your home country but does not function as a standard passport for further international travel.