Passports

Issuance of U.S. Passports Overseas

Beginning on April 8, 2002, American citizens residing or traveling abroad who require issuance of a U.S. passport will be issued the latest, state-of-the-art passport incorporating a photo-digitized image and other enhanced security features. These passports will be issued at the National Passport Center (NPC) in Portsmouth, N.H. and returned to the Embassy/Consulate abroad by express mail. U.S. Embassies and Consulates will continue to issue passports for emergencies requiring immediate travel.

For passport renewals:

U.S. Embassies and Consulates will forward the approved passport applications to the National Passport Center by express mail and the new passports will be returned in the same way. Processing time from application to delivery for the new passports should be no more than 2 weeks depending on the type of mail service you choose.

While the added document security will benefit all Americans, especially those overseas residents who are frequent travelers, we recognize that this procedure will take more time than our previous same day service. As this new security initiative is introduced, let’s work together to make the transition smooth and effective. We ask that you take the time to please check your passports to see when they expire and be sure that you apply for replacements well in advance. You must renew your passport by mail if you meet the requirements. You may refer to the Embassy website click here for further instructions on how to renew your passport by mail. For all other types of passport applications please click here.

For emergency passport issuance:

Emergency passports will be limited in validity, and cannot be extended. Passport holders will be required, to exchange their limited validity passports for a full-validity photo-digitized passport upon completion of their emergency travel, either through passport facilities in the U.S. or U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad.

The State Department remains committed to ensuring that American citizens receive the most secure documents in a timely manner.