CFA® Program identification document exceptions
An international travel passport is the only form of identification accepted for the CFA® Program. You can check if your passport is valid on our CFA Program Identification Policy page.
Examples of unacceptable forms of identification:
- Passport cards.
- National identification cards (e.g. Hong Kong Identity Card, Chinese National Identification Card, European Union identification card, MyKad, etc.).
- Limited travel documents (e.g. Mainland Travel Permit, Exit-Entry Permit, etc.).
- Internal passports.
- Passports that are clipped, hole-punched, or marked canceled.
- Driver's license or driver's permit.
Expired international travel passport
If your international travel passport expires before the date of your exam, you may still use it to register, but you must renew it before the exam and update your account with the new information. If the information in your account does not match the information on your passport exactly or if your passport is expired, you will not be permitted to take the exam and will forfeit your registration fee.
The laws and requirements of each country are different. Please contact your country’s passport-issuing agency for detailed instructions. The application process may take several months, so make sure to give yourself enough time to obtain your passport.
Make sure you update your account with your new passport information.
If you are unable to obtain or present a passport on exam day
You may request to use an alternate form of identification. We will consider your request if your alternate form of identification is:
- A government-issued, passport-equivalent document that allows for unrestricted international travel (with the exception of your country of origin, if you are a refugee);
- Contains all data fields in English;
- An original document (no photocopies);
- Current (not expired); and
- Contains a recognizable photograph.
How to request to use an alternate form of identification
For more information on how to request the use of an alternate ID, please visit our help page.
We consider each request separately. Submitting a request does not guarantee an exception will be made. We cannot suggest specific travel documents for which you might be eligible; we encourage you to seek assistance from your local passport-issuing agency, consulate, or other government resources to determine which alternate international travel documents may be available to you.