Luxembourg's newly introduced passport appears to be encountering problems during identity checks.
Pirate Party MP Sven Clément has raised the issue in a parliamentary question to the government, reporting problems with the passport's near-field communication (NFC) chip when it is scanned by apps, including the ESTA app used by the US authorities.
The ESTA app is the official US government application used by eligible travellers under the Visa Waiver Program to apply for travel authorisation and scan their passport details electronically.
Clément said the passport had proved "unreadable" at automated border-control machines in countries including Germany and Thailand, adding that he hoped these were isolated cases rather than a problem with the passport's design.
As L'Essentiel noted, several users on Reddit have reported that border checks had to be carried out manually because of the issue.
The new passport entered circulation on 11 May 2026. It is valid for 10 years for adults and continues to cost €50.
The parliamentary question was submitted to the Chamber of Deputies on Thursday, with a government response expected within the coming weeks.
