Flag

An official website of the United States government

Message to U.S. Citizens – U.S. Citizens May Return Directly to U.S. with Certain Expired U.S. Passports
7 MINUTE READ
January 5, 2022

If you are overseas and your U.S. passport expired on or after January 1, 2020, you may be able to use your expired U.S. passport to return directly to the United States until March 31, 2022.

You qualify to travel on your expired passport if all the following are true:

  • You are a U.S. citizen.
  • You are currently abroad seeking direct return to the United States.
  • You are flying directly to the United States, a United States territory, or have only short-term transit (“connecting flights”) through a foreign country on your direct return to the United States or to a United States Territory.
  • Your expired passport was originally valid for 10 years. Or, if you were 15 years of age or younger when the passport was issued, your expired passport was valid for five years.
  • Your expired passport is undamaged.
  • Your expired passport is unaltered.
  • Your expired passport is in your possession.

You do not qualify to travel on your expired passport if:

  • You wish to depart from the United States to an international destination.
  • You are currently abroad seeking to travel to a foreign country for any length of stay longer than an airport connection en route to the United States or to a United States territory.
  • Your expired passport was limited in validity.
  • Your expired passport is a special issuance passport (such as a diplomatic, official, service, or no-fee regular passport).
  • Your expired passport is damaged.
  • Your expired passport is altered.
  • Your expired passport is not in your possession.

 

All other passport rules and regulations remain in effect.  The Department of Homeland Security maintains discretion to reject any bearer in accordance with 22 CFR 53.2(b)(7) and 8 CFR 235.1(b)

If your U.S. passport expired on or before December 31, 2019, please see our website for information on how to renew your passport before traveling:  https://ae.usembassy.gov/passports/ 

Applying for a Passport: 

For a list of different passport services, requirements, and associated forms, please go to https://ae.usembassy.gov/passports/. 

Current Passport Processing Times:

  • Routine passport services in the United States currently take 8-11 weeks and expedite processing (for an additional $60) is 5-7 weeks. 
  • Processing time is typically shorter for completed passport applications submitted to U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi and U.S. Consulate General Dubai.  Expedited processing is not available overseas.
  • More information is available at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports.html/. 

 

Assistance:

 

You have received this message because you have registered with the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).  If you would like to unsubscribe or change your details in STEP, please go to https://step.state.gov/step/.