Passport (ISO/IEC 7810 ID-3)

A passport book measures 125 x 88 mm, or about 4.92 x 3.46 inches. That outline is set by ISO/IEC 7810 ID-3, the same standard family that fixes credit-card size, and it is why passports from every country stack neatly together at a border desk.

This guide covers the closed-book dimensions, how thick a passport actually is, how the page inside compares to the cover, and how the whole thing sizes up against a phone, a bank card, and a sheet of A6 paper.

Quick Answer: How Big Is a Passport?

A passport booklet is 125 x 88 mm (4.92 x 3.46 in) when closed. A standard 32-page book is about 3 mm thick; a 52-page book runs closer to 5 mm. It weighs roughly 35 – 60 grams depending on page count and whether it has an electronic chip.

Passport Dimensions at a Glance

• Closed size: 125 x 88 mm / 12.5 x 8.8 cm / 4.92 x 3.46 in
• Open size: about 250 x 88 mm
• Data page: the printed page is ID-3 format, 125 x 88 mm, the full page size
• Thickness: 3 – 5 mm depending on page count; the chip and antenna add a fraction of a millimetre in the cover
• Standard: ISO/IEC 7810 ID-3, defined by ICAO Document 9303 for machine-readable travel documents

What Does a Passport Look Like in Size?

A closed passport is a little larger than a modern smartphone in height and width, but far thicker. It sits comfortably in a jacket inside pocket. The page inside is the same 125 x 88 mm as the cover, which is roughly the size of a postcard cut down, or an A6 sheet trimmed slightly.

Held next to a credit card, a passport is about 1.5 cards wide and 1.6 cards tall, so a bit under 2.5 bank cards in footprint.

6 Everyday Comparisons for a Passport

1. A smartphone (iPhone 15, 147.6 x 71.6 mm) is taller and narrower; the passport is stubbier and much thicker.
2. A credit card (85.6 x 53.98 mm): the passport is about 1.46 cards wide and 1.63 cards tall.
3. An A6 sheet (105 x 148 mm) rotated to landscape (148 x 105 mm) is close, a little larger all round.
4. A passport photo (35 x 45 mm in most countries, 2 x 2 in in the US) is roughly a seventh of the passport page.
5. A deck of playing cards (about 63 x 88 x 18 mm) matches the passport’s height and is thicker than a 52-page book.
6. A CD case (142 x 125 mm) is larger in both directions.

Passport Size in Different Units

How Much Does a Passport Weigh?

A typical modern e-passport weighs 35 – 60 grams:

The electronic chip, antenna, and reinforced cover add only a few grams, but they are why a modern passport feels stiffer than an older paper-only one.

Why Passports Are All the Same Size

ICAO Document 9303 requires travel documents to be machine readable, and the ID-3 format guarantees that the machine-readable zone (the two lines of characters at the bottom of the data page) sits in a fixed position. That lets a single scanner at any border read a book from any country. The outline, the data-page layout, and the font are all specified.

Common Mistakes When Comparing Passport Dimensions

1. Quoting the open size as the passport size. The book is 125 x 88 mm closed; it opens to about 250 mm wide.
2. Confusing “passport size” the document with “passport size” the photo. The photo is 35 x 45 mm (or 2 x 2 in in the US), not the book.
3. Assuming all books are the same thickness. A 52-page book is nearly twice as thick as a 32-page one.
4. Treating the ID-3 card and the passport as different. The data page is exactly ID-3, 125 x 88 mm.
5. Forgetting the chip. Modern passports are e-passports; the cover is thicker and stiffer than a legacy book of the same page count.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big is a passport in inches?

About 4.92 x 3.46 inches closed.

How big is a passport in cm?

12.5 x 8.8 cm.

How thick is a passport?

Around 3 mm for a 32-page book and about 5 mm for a 52-page book.

How much does a passport weigh?

Roughly 35 – 60 g depending on page count and cover.

Is a passport bigger than a phone?

It is wider and shorter than most phones, and much thicker.

What is the ID-3 format?

The ISO/IEC 7810 card format used for the passport data page, 125 x 88 mm.

What size is a passport photo?

35 x 45 mm in most countries; 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) in the United States.

How wide is an open passport?

About 250 mm across the two facing pages.

Final Takeaway

A passport is 125 x 88 mm (4.92 x 3.46 in) closed, 3 – 5 mm thick, and weighs 35 – 60 grams. The outline is the ISO/IEC 7810 ID-3 standard, mandated by ICAO so that one scanner can read any country’s book, which is why every passport you have ever seen is the same size.