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Citizen Services
Passport Services
The U.S. Passport
In order to obtain a U.S. passport you must present satisfactory evidence of American citizenship AND proof of identity. Full validity U.S. passports valid for 10 years are issued to U.S. citizens age 16 and above. U.S. passports for minors below age 16 are valid for five years. Limited validity passports valid for no more than one year may be issued under special circumstances, at the discretion of the consular officer. Validity of U.S. passports cannot be extended. U.S. citizens who hold limited validity passports are encouraged to obtain a full validity passport at their earliest possible time to avoid getting caught in a situation that require them to travel at very short notice.
Appointments: To apply for a passport for a minor (Below 16 years old), you must make an online appointment prior to coming to the Embassy. Please refer to the “Applicants Age Below 16” tab for information on how to make an appointment.
Processing Time: U.S. passports are issued in the United States even though applications may be accepted and approved at overseas U.S. consulates and embassies. The processing time for applications submitted and approved at this office is typically ten days to two weeks. Applicants will have their current passports returned to them and are expected to retain them during this processing period. At the time of collection of the new passport, applicants must submit their current passport to be cancelled. The cancelled passport will then be returned with the new passport. Applicants must be able to pick up their new passports personally or authorize a representative in writing to do so. We do not mail passports to applicants and we are required to cancel the current passport before we release the new passport. Applicants are strongly advised not to make irreversible travel plans until they have their passports in hand.
Personal Appearance: The following applicants must appear in person to submit the passport application and take an oath administered by the consular officer.
- Applicant aged below 16.
- Applicant whose previous passport was lost or stolen, mutilated or damaged.
- Applicant whose previous passport has expired and it was issued more than 15 years ago.
- Applicant whose previous passport has expired and it was issued the when he / she was under age 16.
- Applicant whose name has changed since the issuance of the previous passport and there is no legal document formally recording the name change.