Swiss Pass require photo?

You have to show your USA passport with your Swiss Travel Pass when the conductor comes by checking tickets. That is all. That is what they mean.

And they do check occasionally so make sure both the pass and passport are accessible during your train ride.

If you want the actual physical card, you will need to have a passport type photo to give to them. If you travel with the paper version, then you need your passport for id.

Traveling from Berne to Lauterbrunnen we were checked twice. Neither time was a photo ID requested. From Lauterbrunnen and travells via the BO card we only had to present that and only when riding cable cards. Otherwise we were never checked on the local trains.

Can you provide a link to the SBB page that says you need a passport photo? I have been buying and using Swiss Passes for 20 years and this has never been a requirement. And now they issue ePasses for your phone (shown in the photo), with no provision for a passport photo.

https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/travel-in-switzerland/international-guests/swiss-travel-pass.html

We have only rarely been asked to show our passports along with the pass when riding the trains.

You might be confusing the Swiss Travel Pass, which is sold to nonresidents for limited time amounts, with the Swiss Pass, which is an ID card that comes with annual GA, Regional, or Half Fare cards sold to residents.
https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/swisspass/swisspass-card.html

If you are just visiting, you'll be getting a Swiss Travel Pass, for which your passport is the ID that goes with it.

Sam, you are right..I am confusing those. Is it possible for tourists to get the physical card or is it all an e-mobile doc?

Jennie, you can purchase a physical Swiss Travel Pass once in Switzerland. Or if you buy ahead of time, you can have the Pass on your phone, and also print out a copy or copies so you have a physical copy to use there. I had both and found it easier to show the conductor the printed out copy along with a printed out copy of my passport. We never knew if or when the conductor was coming so it was just quicker for us to keep the papers out and ready to show.

Thank you, Carrie!

We put our STP in our Apple wallet for easy retrieval.
Safe travels !