United States passports arepassports issued tocitizens and non-citizennationals of theUnited States of America.[7] They are issued exclusively by theU.S. Department of State.[8] Besides passports (in booklet form), limited-usepassport cards are issued subject to the same requirements.[9] It is unlawful for US citizens and nationals to enter or exit the country without a valid US passport or passport-replacement document compliant with theWestern Hemisphere Travel Initiative,[10][11] though there are many exceptions;[12] waivers are generally granted for U.S. citizens returning without a passport, and the exit requirement is not enforced. As of October 2025, a United States passport allowsvisa-free travel to 180 countries and territories, being ranked as the twelfth most powerful in the world in terms of travel freedom per theHenley Passport Index tied with theMalaysian passport.
By law, a valid unexpired U.S. passport (or passport card) is conclusive (and not justprima facie) proof ofU.S. citizenship, with the same force and effect as proof as certificates of naturalization or citizenship if issued to a U.S. citizen for the full period allowed by law.[16][17] U.S. law does not prohibit its citizens from also holding passports of other countries.[18]
American consular officials issued passports to some citizens of some of the thirteen states during theAmerican Revolutionary War (1775–1783). Passports were sheets of paper printed on one side, included a description of the bearer, and were valid for three to six months. The minister to France,Benjamin Franklin, based the design of passports issued by his mission on that of the French passport.[19]
From 1776 to 1783, no state government had a passport requirement. TheArticles of Confederation government (1783–1789) did not have a passport requirement.[20]
The Department of Foreign Affairs of the war period also issued passports, and the department, carried over by the Articles of Confederation government (1783–1789), continued to issue passports. In July 1789, the Department of Foreign Affairs was carried over by the government established under theConstitution. In September of that year, the name of the department was changed toDepartment of State. The department handled foreign relations and issued passports, and until the mid-19th century had various domestic duties.
For decades thereafter, passports were issued not only by the Department of State but also by states and cities, and bynotaries public. For example, aninternal passport dated 1815 was presented to Massachusetts citizen George Barker to allow him to travel as a free black man to visit relatives in Southern slave states.[21] Passports issued by American authorities other than the Department of State breached propriety and caused confusion abroad. Some European countries refused to recognize passports not issued by the Department of State, unless United States consular officials endorsed them. The problems led the Congress in 1856 to give the Department of State the sole authority to issue passports.[22][a]
From 1789 through late 1941, the federal government required passports of citizens only during two periods: during theAmerican Civil War (1861–1865), as well as during and shortly afterWorld War I (1914–1918). The passport requirement of the Civil War era lacked statutory authority.[24] During World War I (1914–1918), European countries instituted passport requirements. TheTravel Control Act of May 22, 1918, permitted the president, when the United States was at war, to proclaim a passport requirement, and PresidentWilson issued such a proclamation on August 18, 1918. World War I ended on November 11, 1918, but the passport requirement lingered until March 3, 1921, the last day of the Wilson administration.[25]
In Europe, general peace between the end of theNapoleonic Wars (1815) and the beginning of World War I (1914), and the development of railroads, gave rise to international travel by large numbers of people. Countries such as theRussian Empire and theOttoman Empire maintained passport requirements. After World War I, many European countries retained their passport requirements. Foreign passport requirements undercut the absence of a passport requirement under US law for Americans exiting the country between 1921 and 1941.[26]
The contemporary period of required passports for Americans under United States law began on November 29, 1941.[27] A 1978 amendment to theImmigration and Nationality Act of 1952 made it unlawful to enter or depart the United States without an issued passport even in peacetime.[28]
Even when passports were not usually required, Americans requested them. Records of the Department of State show that 130,360 passports were issued between 1810 and 1873 and that 369,844 passports were issued between 1877 and 1909. Some of those passports were family passports or group passports. A passport application could cover, variously, a wife, a child, or children, one or more servants, or a woman traveling under the protection of a man. The passport would be issued to the man. Similarly, a passport application could cover a child traveling with their mother. The passport would be issued to the mother. The number of Americans who traveled without passports is unknown.[29]
TheLeague of Nations held a conference in 1920 concerning passports and through-train travel, and conferences in 1926 and 1927 concerning passports. The 1920 conference put forward guidelines on the layout and features of passports, which the 1926 and 1927 conferences followed up. Those guidelines were steps in the shaping of contemporary passports. One of the guidelines was about 32-page passport booklets, such as the U.S. type III mentioned in this section, below. Another guideline was aboutlanguages in passports. A conference on travel and tourism held by theUnited Nations in 1963 did not result in standardized passports. Passport standardization was accomplished in 1980 under the auspices of theInternational Civil Aviation Organization.
The design and contents of U.S. passports has changed over the years.[30] Prior to World War I the passport was typically a large (11 in × 17 in / 28 cm × 43 cm) diploma, with a large engraved seal of the Department of State at the top, repeated in red wax at the bottom, the bearer's description and signature on the left, and his name on the right above space for data such as "accompanied by his wife," all in ornate script.[citation needed] In 1926, the Department of State introduced the type III passport. This had a stiff red cover, with a window cut-out through which the passport number was visible. That style of passport contained 32 pages.[31][full citation needed] American passports had green covers from 1941 until 1976, when the cover was changed to blue, as part of theU.S. bicentennial celebration of 1975–1977, and remained blue afterwards until 1993. Green covers were again issued from April 1993 until March 1994, and included a special tribute to Benjamin Franklin in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the United States Consular Service. After March 1994, blue passports, with pages showing U.S. state seals, were reissued. In 2007, images showcasing landscapes of the United States as well as places and objects of significance to U.S. history were introduced.
Initially, a U.S. passport was issued for two years, although by the 1950s on application by the holder a passport could be stamped so that this time was extended without reissue. Stamping for a further extension is not permitted at present. In the succeeding decades the periods of validity for adult applicants were gradually extended to three, five, and eventually ten years, the current standard.
Signature page and data page of a non-biometric United States passport (pre-2007)
In 1981, the United States became the first country to introducemachine-readable passports.[32][full citation needed] In 2000, the Department of State started to issue passports with digital photos, and as of 2010, all previous series have expired.
In 2006, the Department of State began to issuebiometric passports todiplomats and other officials.[33] Later in 2006, biometric passports were issued to the public.[1] Since August 2007, the department has issued only biometric passports, which include RFID chips.[34]
The United States participates in theFive Nations Passport Group, an international forum for cooperation between the passport issuing authorities in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia to "share best practices and discuss innovations related to the development of passport policies, products and practices".[35]
Signature page and data page of a biometric next generation passport (2021–present)
The United States Department of State has announced, and, in March 2021, started to issue, the next generation passport.[2] The passport will have an embedded data chip on the information page protected by apolycarbonate coating; this will help prevent the book from getting wet and bending, and—should a passport be stolen—the chip will keep thieves from stealing personal information andfalsifying an identity. The passport number will also be laser cut as perforated holes that get progressively smaller through pages—just one of several components of the"Next Generation" passport, including artwork upgrade, new security features such as a watermark, "tactile features," and more "optically variable" inks.[36] Some designs on pages will be raised, and ink—depending on the viewing angle—will appear to be different colors.[37][38] On November 18, 2022, the Department of State announced that they are now issuing all passport books as Next Generation Passports.[39]
In June 2021,Secretary of StateAntony Blinken announced that an option for American passport holders to select athird gender category on their passports was planned but would take time to implement.[40] Additionally, applicants changing their gender would no longer be required to provide external documentation like a court order or medical certification.[41]Dana Zzyym, who had sued the Department of State for not issuing a passport with a non-binary gender marker in 2015, was reportedly issued the first US passport with an "X" gender designation in October 2021.[42] "X" was added as a gender option for all applicants on April 11, 2022.[43] Issuance of passports with the "X" marker was suspended in January 2025 after thesecond Trump administration declared the federal government would only recognize binary sex assigned at "conception" [sic] viaan executive order.[44][45]
The Biden administration issued an executive order in December 2021 requiring the creation of an online passport renewal system. The State Department launched a pilot program in 2022 which received over 500,000 applications before its closure in March 2023. Although the Department found the program successful, some legislators in Congress criticized the technical issues that some customers experienced.[46] Another online renewal pilot was launched in June 2024 and became available to the general public in September.[47][48] The 2024 pilot address key issues from the earlier release, including photo upload errors, made improvements based on ongoing public feedback, and released updates in phases.[49]
In 2025, theWall Street Journal reported that the online passport renewal program has processed over three million renewals with high user satisfaction, handles roughly half of the renewals, represents a major success in federal digital modernization efforts.[49]
There are about 9,000 passport acceptance facilities in the United States, designated by Passport Services, at which routine passport applications may be filed. These facilities include United States courts, state courts, post offices, public libraries, county offices, and city offices.[55] In fiscal year 2024, the Department of State issued 24,515,786 passports (including 1,741,527 passport cards) and there were 143,116,633 valid U.S. passports in circulation.[56] The passport possession rate of the U.S. was approximately 48% of the population in June 2024, rising from 5% in 1990.[57]
It is unlawful to enter or exit the United States without a valid passport or passport-replacement document compliant with theWestern Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), or without an exception or waiver.[10][11][12]
The use of passports may be restricted for foreign policy reasons. In September 1939, in order to preserve theUnited States' neutrality in relation to the breakout ofWorld War II, then Secretary of StateCordell Hull issued regulations declaring that outstanding passports, together with passports issued thereafter, could not be used for travel to Europe without specific validation by the Department of State, and such validation could not last more than six months.[58] Similar restrictions can still be invoked upon notice given in theFederal Register,[59] and such notice was issued in 2017, so that passports were "declared invalid for travel to, in, or through theDPRK unless specially validated for such travel."[60]
As confirmed inHaig v. Agee (1981), the administration may deny or revoke passports forforeign policy ornational security reasons at any time,[10] and for other reasons as prescribed by regulations.[61] A notable example of enforcement of this was the 1948 denial of a passport toU.S. RepresentativeLeo Isacson, who sought to go to Paris to attend a conference as an observer for the American Council for a Democratic Greece, aCommunist front organization, because of the group's role in opposing the Greek government in theGreek Civil War.[62][63] Denial or revocation of a passport does not prevent the use of outstanding valid passports.[64] The physical revocation of a passport is often difficult, and an apparently valid passport can be used for travel until officially taken by an arresting officer or by a court.[64]
The lack of a valid passport (for whatever reason, including revocation) does not render the U.S. citizen either unable to leave the United States, or inadmissible into the United States. The United States is a signatory of theInternational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees residents of its signatories wide-ranging rights to enter or depart their own countries. InNguyen v. INS, the Supreme Court stated that U.S. citizens are entitled "to the absolute right to enter its borders."[65] Lower federal courts went as far as to declare that "the Government cannot say to its citizen, standing beyond its border, that his reentry into the land of his allegiance is a criminal offense; and this we conclude is a sound principle whether or not the citizen has a passport, and however wrongful may have been his conduct in effecting his departure."[66] Therefore, even in the absence of a valid passport, U.S. citizens cannot be denied entry into the United States, though they may be delayed while theCBP attempts to verify their identity and citizenship status.[67]
The U.S. does not exercise passport control on exit from the country,[68] so an individual attempting to depart from the U.S. only needs to have valid documents granting the right to entry into the country of destination. In most cases, these are inspected at check-in before the individual can be issued aboarding pass by an airline or cruise operator/shipping company, or by immigration authorities at Canadian or Mexican ports of entry on land.
Travel of U.S. citizens and nationals around the United States and across its international borders is generally controlled by means other than passports, such as theNo Fly List.
United States passports are issuable only to persons who owe permanent allegiance to the United States – i.e.,citizens and non-citizennationals of the United States.[69]
Under the 14th amendment to the US Constitution, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States ..."[70] Under this provision, "United States" means the 50 states and theDistrict of Columbia only,[71] but also technically includes the uninhabitedPalmyra Atoll, an incorporated territory due to theInsular Cases.
By acts of Congress, every person born inPuerto Rico, theU.S. Virgin Islands,Guam, and theNorthern Mariana Islands is a United States citizen by birth.[72] Also, every person born in the formerPanama Canal Zone whose father or mother (or both) was a citizen is a United States citizen by birth.[73] Other acts of Congress provide for acquisition of citizenship by persons born abroad.[74]
Message in the passport of an American Samoan stating that the passport holder is in fact a national, not citizen, of the United States.
Every citizen is anational of the United States, but not every national is a citizen. The only current example of non-citizen US nationals arethose born inAmerican Samoa (includingSwains Island).[75] Unlike the other current US territories, people born in American Samoa are not automatically grantedUS citizenship by birth as the territory isnot incorporated and an act of Congress granting it, similar to other US territories, has not yet been passed for American Samoa.[76] The other historical groups of non-citizen US nationals include those of former US territories and during periods of time before the acts of Congress granting citizenship to those born in current territories.
Few requests for certificates ofnon-citizenship nationality are made to the Department of State, which are issuable by the department. Production of a limited number of certificates would be costly, which if produced would have to meet stringent security standards. Due to this, the Department of State chooses not to issue such certificates; instead, passports are issued to non-citizen nationals. The issued passport certifies the status of a non-citizen national.[77] The certification is in the form of "U.S. National" instead of "USA" on the front of the passport card, or an endorsement in the passport book: "The bearer is a United States national and not a United States citizen."[78]
United States law permitsdual nationality.[79] Consequently, it is permissible to have and use a foreign passport. However, U.S. citizens are required to use a U.S. passport when leaving or entering the United States.[80] This requirement extends to a U.S. citizen who is a dual national.[81]
An application for a United States passport made abroad is forwarded by a U.S. embassy or consulate to Passport Services for processing in the United States. The resulting passport is sent to the embassy or consulate for issuance to the applicant. An emergency passport is issuable by the embassy or consulate. As perHaig v. Agee, the presidential administration may deny or revoke passports forforeign policy ornational security reasons at any time.
Places where a U.S. passport may be applied for include some post offices and libraries.[84] Some passports can be renewed online. As of October 2024, the processing time for a regular application is four to six weeks, not including shipping times.[85] Previously, a processing time of six to eight weeks was the norm before theCOVID-19 pandemic, which caused passport applications to take as long as 18 weeks to be processed in 2021.[86]
The applicant has never been issued a U.S. passport
The applicant is over age 16
The applicant was under age 16 when upon the issuance of the applicant's previous passport
The applicant's recent U.S. passport was issued more than 15 years ago
The applicant's most recent U.S. passport was lost or stolen
The applicant's name has changed since the applicant's U.S. passport was issued and the applicant is unable to legally document the change of name
All applicants using a form DS-11 must appear in person, and pay an additional $35 execution fee, in addition to the cost of their passport book and/or card.
Is undamaged and can be submitted with the application
Was issued when the applicant was age 16 or older
Was issued within the last 15 years
Was issued in the applicant's current name or the applicant can legally document a change of name
The advantage of the DS-82 passport renewal form is a traveler can mail in the form on their own, and they also do not have to pay the $35 processing fee associated with a DS-11 passport application.
Two United States passports, a regular passport for personal use, and a second passport for official business
More than one valid United States passport of the same type may not be held, except if authorized by the Department of State.[90] It is routine for the Department of State to authorize a holder of a regular passport to hold, in addition, adiplomatic passport or anofficial passport or a no-fee passport.
Diplomatic couriers are usually issued multiple diplomatic passports to support the processing and possession of relevant visas for all the countries they may travel to.[92][93]
If applying out-of-state, another piece of proof of identity is required.
Proof of U.S. nationality (such as a previous U.S. passport, birth certificate from a state or US territory, Certificate of Naturalization / Citizenship, or Consular Report of Birth Abroad)
If the applicant has been issued a U.S. passport or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, and is unable or unwilling to submit them, they can request the State Department to perform a "file search". If the aforementioned document was issued prior to 1994, the applicant needs to pay a $150 file search fee for the State Department to manually search the paper records.
Fees for applying vary based on whether or not an applicant is applying for a new passport or they are renewing an expiring passport. Fees also vary depending on whether an applicant is under the age of 16.
A passport fee was first levied in 1856 at one dollar, and over the years remained at or under $10 (including a $1 execution fee introduced in 1920) through 1932.[99] In 1983, the State Department declared that the existing passport fee of $10 was insufficient to cover costs, so the fee was raised from $10 to $35, and new passports were changed to be valid for a decade instead of for five years.[100] The fee for individuals under 18 years of age was also raised from $10 to $20 for a five-year passport. Until that year, passport fees had only been raised by one dollar since 1932.[100] In a 2004 USPS Passport Services publication, "Fees total $85 for adults (16 years and older), with separate payments of $30 to the U.S. Postal Service® for its processing fee and $55 to the Department of State for its passport application fee. For those under 16, the total cost is $70, with separate payments of $30 to the U.S. Postal Service for its processing fee and $40 to the Department of State for its passport application fee."[101]
Prices were again increased in 2010. Fees for a brand-new passport went from $100 to $135 (from $85 to $105 for those under 16), and renewal fees climbed from $75 to $110.[102] Passport cards also saw new and increased fees: $55 for adults and $40 for children.[102] The State Department raised these and other fees after conducting "an exhaustive study of the true cost of providing consular services."[102] In 2018, first-time adult applicants were charged $110 per passport book and $30 per passport card. Additionally, a $35 execution fee was also charged for every first time applications.[103]
As of December 27, 2021, first-time adult applicants are charged $130 per passport book and $30 per passport card. Additionally, a $35 execution fee is charged per transaction, but only for first applications and not for renewals. This means people applying for the passport book and card simultaneously on the same application pay only one execution fee.[104]
All minor applicants are considered first-time applicants until they reach age 16. Minor applicants pay a $100 application fee for the passport book and a $15 application fee for the passport card. The same $35 execution fee is charged per application.[104]
Adults wishing to renew their passports may do so up to five years after expiration at a cost of $130 for the passport book and $30 for the passport card. Passports for minors under age 16 cannot be renewed.[104]
If a person is already in possession of a passport book and would like a passport card additionally (or vice versa), they may submit their currently valid passport book or card as evidence of citizenship and apply for a renewal to avoid paying a $35 execution fee. However, if the passport book or card holder is unable or unwilling to relinquish their currently valid passport for the duration of the processing, they may submit other primary evidence of citizenship, such as a U.S. birth certificate or naturalization certificate, and apply as a first time applicant, paying the execution fee and submitting a written explanation as to why they are applying in this manner.[103]
Extra pages added to a U.S. passport, along with immigration stamps fromSwaziland, Zambia, and South Africa.
An expedite fee of $60 is charged when applicants request faster processing, regardless of age. This processing is currently 2–3 weeks when applying at an acceptance facility. The same fee is charged for expedited service when applying at a Passport Agency within 14 days of travel.[105]
In addition to the expedite fee, applicants may pay an additional $21.36 to receive their passport 1–2 days after it is mailed.[106] This can be paid in combination with the application fee when applying, or added later by calling the National Passport Information Center. However, 1-2 day mail return is only available for the U.S. Passport Book. Passport cards may not be overnight mailed.[106]
As of January 1, 2016, passports may no longer have pages added to them. When applying for a new passport, applicants may apply for a 28-page or 52-page passport, with no additional cost for obtaining the 52-page passport.[107]
If an applicant requests a "file search" for a previously-issued U.S. passport or Consular Report of Birth Abroad, and if the said document was issued prior to 1994, then the applicant needs to pay $150 as the "file search fee".
Issuable to all citizens and non-citizen nationals. Periods of validity : for those age 16 or over, generally ten years from the date of issue; for those 15 and younger, generally five years from the date of issue.[108][109] A sub-type of regular passports is no-fee passports, issuable to citizens in specified categories for specified purposes, such as an American sailor for travel connected with his duties aboard a U.S.-flag vessel. Period of validity: generally 5 years from the date of issue.[110] A no-fee passport has an endorsement which prohibits its use for a purpose other than a specified purpose.
Service (gray cover)
Issuable to "certain non-personal services contractors who travel abroad in support of and pursuant to a contract with the U.S. government", to demonstrate the passport holder is traveling "to conduct work in support of the U.S. government while simultaneously indicating that the traveler has a more attenuated relationship with the U.S. government that does not justify a diplomatic or official passport."[111][112][113] Period of validity: generally five years from the date of issue.[114]
Cover of a biometric official passport
Official (maroon cover)
Issuable to citizen-employees of the United States assigned overseas, either permanently or temporarily, and their eligible dependents, and to some members of Congress who travel abroad on official business. Also issued to U.S. military personnel when deployed overseas. Period of validity: generally five years from the date of issue.[114]
Not a full passport, but issued to a permanent resident alien in lieu of a passport. The re-entry permit guarantees them permission to re-enter the U.S. and is usually valid for a period of two years.[119][120] A re-entry permit can also be used by permanent residents who are stateless or cannot get a passport for international travel, or who wish to visit a country they cannot on their passport.[121]
Issuable to citizens overseas, in urgent circumstances, e.g. imminent death and funeral of a family member, lost or stolen passport while abroad, or similar situation. Period of validity: generally one year from the date of issue.[123] An emergency passport may be exchanged for a full-term passport.[124]
Not a full passport, but a small ID card issued by the U.S. government for crossing land and sea borders with Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. All persons eligible for a regular passport book are eligible for a passport card. The card does not denote the bearer's official or diplomatic status, if any. The ID card is valid for 10 years for people 16 or older and 5 years for minors under 16. The passport card is not valid for international air travel.[9] It is possible to hold the U.S. passport card in addition to a regular passport.[125] These ID cards are WHTI andReal ID compliant, making them valid for domestic air travel, and have digitally-signed biometrics within an internal RFID chip, readable at a land or sea port of entry into or out of the United States.
On the front cover, a representation of theGreat Seal of the United States is at the center. "PASSPORT" (in all capital letters) appears above the representation of the Great Seal, and "United States of America" appears below (inGaramond italic on non-biometric passports, andMinion italic on post-biometric passports).
An official passport has "OFFICIAL" (in all capital letters) above "PASSPORT". The capital letters of "OFFICIAL" are somewhat smaller than the capital letters of "PASSPORT".
A diplomatic passport has "DIPLOMATIC" (in all capital letters) above "PASSPORT". The capital letters of "DIPLOMATIC" are somewhat smaller than the capital letters of "PASSPORT".
A Travel Document, in both forms (Refugee Travel Document and Permit to Re-Enter), features the seal of the Department of Homeland Security instead of the Great Seal of the United States. Above the seal the words "TRAVEL DOCUMENT" appears in all capital letters. Below the seal is the legend "Issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services" in upper and lower case.
In 2007, the passport was redesigned after a previous redesign in 1993. There are 13 quotes in the 28-page version of the passport and patriotic-themed images on the background of the pages.[126]
A biometric passport has the e-passport symbol at the bottom. There are 32 pages in a biometric passport. Frequent travelers may request 52-page passports for no additional cost. Extra visa pages could previously be added to a passport,[127] but, as of January 1, 2016, the service was discontinued entirely for security reasons.[107]
Signature page and data page of a biometric passport (2007–2021)Signature page and data page of a biometric next generation passport (2021–present)
Each passport has a data page and a signature page.
A data page is a page containing information about the passport holder. It is the only page in a U.S. passport laminated in plastic to prevent tampering. A data page has a visual zone and amachine-readable zone. The visual zone has a digitized photograph of the passport holder, data about the passport, and data about the passport holder:
Photograph
Type [of document, which is "P" for "passport"][128]
Code [of the issuing country, which is "USA" for "United States of America"]
A signature page has a line for the signature of a passport holder. A passport is not valid until it is signed by the passport holder in black or blue ink. If a holder is unable to sign their passport, it is to be signed by a person who has legal authority to sign on the holder's behalf.[130]
In June 2021, the Department of State announced that it would be starting a process to allow for athird gender on passports, as well as allowing applicants to self-select male or female on their passport applications instead of submitting medical certificates for a change of gender.[131][132]
On January 20, 2025, the Department of State suspended passport applications using the gender marking "X" due to the signing ofExecutive Order 14168 which defined sex as only being either male or female.[133] However, on April 18, 2025, a federal judge blocked the policy.[134]
Place of birth was first added to U.S. passports in 1917. The standards for the names of places of birth that appear in passports are listed in volume 8 of the Foreign Affairs Manual, published by the Department of State.[135] A request to list no place of birth in a passport is never accepted.[136]
For birthplaces within the United States and its territories, it contains the name of the state or territory followed by "U.S.A." (e.g. North Carolina, U.S.A), except for theU.S. Virgin Islands andAmerican Samoa which are listed alone. For persons born inWashington State or theDistrict of Columbia, passports indicate "Washington, U.S.A." or "Washington, D.C., U.S.A.", respectively, as the place of birth.[137]
For an American whose birthplace is outside the United States, only the country ordependent territory is mentioned. The name of the country is the current name of the country that presently controls the place of birth, regardless of what the name was at the time of birth. For example, Americans born before 1991 in the formerSoviet Union (including theBaltic states, whose annexation by the Soviet Union was never recognized by the U.S.) would have the post-Soviet country name listed as the place of birth, e.g.Armenia instead of theArmenian Soviet Socialist Republic,Soviet Union. Another example is that for Americans born in the formerPanama Canal Zone, "Panama" is listed as the place of birth for people born on or after October 1, 1979; people born before October 1 can choose to designate the city of place of birth. A citizen born outside the United States who objects to the standard country name may be allowed to have the municipality of birth entered on the passport. However, if a foreign country denies a visa or entry because of the place-of-birth designation, the Department of State will issue a replacement passport at normal fees, and will not facilitate entry into the foreign country.[138]
Special provisions exist to deal with the complexities of American passport holders born in theGreater China Region. Per theOne-China policy, the United States recognizes thePeople's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China, while considering the status ofTaiwan to be undetermined.[139][140][141] However, Americans born in Taiwan can choose to have either "Taiwan", "China", or their city of birth listed as place of birth. Americans born inHong Kong orMacau would have their place of birth as "Hong KongSAR" or "Macau SAR", but the option of listing the city of birth only (e.g. "Hong Kong" or "Macau" without "SAR") is not available. AsTibet is recognized as part of China, the place of birth for Americans born in Tibet is written as "China", with the option of listing only the city of birth.[142]
For births in the Golan Heights, "Israel" has been used since March 2019 when the US recognized the Golan Heights as part of Israel;[143] previously "Syria" was used regardless of date of birth.[144]
Prior to October 2020, due to thelegal uncertainty of the status of Jerusalem, "Jerusalem" was used for births in Jerusalem within its 1948 municipal borders regardless of date of birth.[144] In 2002, Congress passed legislation that said that American citizens born in Jerusalem may list "Israel" as their country of birth, although PresidentsGeorge W. Bush andBarack Obama did not allow it.[145] A federal appeals court declared the 2002 law invalid on July 23, 2013,[146] and the Supreme Courtupheld that decision on June 8, 2015.[147] In October 2020, the Department of State announced that it had changed its policy and stated that Americans born in Jerusalem would be permitted to have either "Jerusalem" or "Israel" designated as their place of birth.[148] However, for those who were born before 1948 in areas outside of Jerusalem's 1948 municipal limits but now are included within Jerusalem, their place of birth is listed as "Palestine" or the area's name as known before the expansion of Jerusalem. Those born after 1948 in these areas may choose to have the area's name listed as their place of birth, but not as "Jordan" or "West Bank".[143]
In all cases, the city or town of birth may be used in place of the standard designations.[144]
For an Americanborn aboard an aircraft or ship, if the birth occurs in an area where no country has sovereignty (i.e. in or overinternational waters), the place of birth is listed as "in the air" or "at sea" where appropriate.[149]
Passports of many countries contain a message, nominally from the official who is in charge of passport issuance (e.g., secretary of state, minister of foreign affairs), addressed to authorities of other countries. The message identifies the bearer as a citizen of the issuing country, requests permission for the bearer to enter and pass through the other country, and requests further that, when necessary, the bearer be given help consistent with international norms. In American passports, the message is in English, French, and Spanish. The message reads:
TheSecretary of State of the United States of America hereby requests all whom it may concern to permit the citizen/national of the United States named herein to pass without delay or hindrance and in case of need to give all lawful aid and protection.
Le Secrétaire d'Etat des Etats-Unis d'Amérique prie par les présentes toutes autorités compétentes de laisser passer le citoyen ou ressortissant des Etats-Unis titulaire du présent passeport, sans délai ni difficulté et, en cas de besoin, de lui accorder toute aide et protection légitimes.
El Secretario de Estado de los Estados Unidos de América por el presente solicita a las autoridades competentes permitir el paso del ciudadano o nacional de los Estados Unidos aquí nombrado, sin demora ni dificultades, y en caso de necesidad, prestarle toda la ayuda y protección lícitas.
The masculine inflections of "Le Secrétaire d'Etat" and "El Secretario de Estado" are used in all passports, regardless of the sex of the Secretary of State at the time of issue.
In November 2017, pursuant to theInternational Megan's Law, the Department of State announced that passports of US citizens previously convicted ofsex crimes against minors would be endorsed with the message, "The bearer was convicted of a sex offense against a minor, and is a covered sex offender pursuant to [U.S. law]."[150]
At aLeague of Nations conference in 1920 about passports and through-train travel, a recommendation was that passports be written inFrench (historically, the language of diplomacy) and one other language.
English, thede facto national language of the United States, has always been used in U.S. passports. At some point after 1920, English and French were used in passports. Spanish was added during the second term of theClinton administration.
The field names on the data page, the passport message, the field names and emergency instructions on the “personal data and emergency contact” page, and the designations of the amendments-and-endorsements pages, are printed inEnglish,French, andSpanish.
The legal driving force behind biometric passports is the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002, which states thatsmart-cardidentity cards may be used in lieu ofvisas. That law also provides that foreigners who travel to the U.S., and want to enter the U.S. visa-free under theVisa Waiver Program, must bear machine-readable passports that comply with international standards. If a foreign passport was issued on or after October 26, 2006, that passport must be a biometric passport.
The electronic chip in the back cover of a U.S. passport stores an image of the photograph of the passport holder, passport data, and personal data of the passport holder; and has capacity to store additional data.[34] The capacity of theradio-frequency identification (RFID) chip is 64 kilobytes, which is large enough to store additional biometric identifiers in the future, such as fingerprints and iris scans. Data within the chip is signed with anRSA-2048certificate issued to the U.S. Department of State by theICAO Public Key Directory. Any and all data must be authentic and untampered, or else the signature will be invalidated.
Data in a passport chip is scannable by electronic readers, a capability which is intended to speed up immigration processing. This data, along with the signature, is verified to either be valid or invalid. Like toll-road chips, data in passport chips can be read when passport chips are adjacent to readers. The passport cover contains a radio-frequency shield in the form of a wire mesh within the cover, so the cover must be opened for the data to be read. This cover acts as aFaraday cage.
According to the Department of State, theBasic Access Control (BAC) security protocol prevents access to that data unless the printed information within the passport is also known or can be guessed.[151]
According to privacy advocates, the BAC and the shielded cover are ineffective when a passport is open, and a passport may have to be opened for inspection in a public place such as a hotel, a bank, or an Internet cafe. An open passport is subject to unwelcome reading of chip data, such as by a government agent who is tracking a passport holder's movements or by a criminal who is intending identity theft.[152]
Visa requirements for United States citizens for holders of regular United States passports
United States and territories belonging to the same
Freedom of movement
Visa free access
Visa issued upon arrival
eVisa
Both visa on arrival and eVisa available
Visa required prior to arrival
Travel ban imposed by the U.S. federal government
Visa requirements for United States citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the United States. As of June 2025, holders of a United States passport can visit 182 countries and territories without a visa or with a visa on arrival, ranking it tenth in terms of travel freedom according to theHenley Passport Index.[153] Additionally,Arton Capital's Passport Index ranked the United States passport fourth in the world in terms of travel freedom, with a visa-free score of 160 (tied with Belgium, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland), as of June 2025.[154] The United States Passport is ranked 9th by the Global Passport Power Rank.[155] The United States government has prohibited all U.S. nationals from traveling to North Korea without special permission, making all United States passports invalid for travel to, in, or through the country.[156]
^However, pursuant to theDred Scott decision, the Secretary of State refused a passport to a black man in Massachusetts,John Rock, on grounds that, being black, he was not a United States citizen, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts issued him a passport describing him as a citizen of the Commonwealth, and he used it to travel to Europe.[23]
^Robertson, Craig (2009).The Passport in America. New York: Oxford University Press.
^Act of June 21, 1941, ch. 210, 55 Stat.252; Proc. No. 2523, 55 Stat.1696; 6 Fed. Reg. 6069 (1941).
^Haig v. Agee, 453 U.S. 280 (1981). § 707(b) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1979 (Pub. L.95–426, 92 Stat.993, enactedOctober 7, 1978), amended § 215 of theImmigration and Nationality Act of 1952 making it unlawful to enter or depart the United States without a passport even in peacetime "except as otherwise provided by the President and subject to such limitations and exceptions as the President may authorize and prescribe".
^ab"The U.S. Electronic Passport". U.S. Department of State. Archived fromthe original on September 6, 2010. RetrievedAugust 25, 2010.Since August 2007, the U.S. has been issuing only e-passports.
^22 U.S.C. sec. 212: "No passport shall be granted or issued to or verified for any other persons than those owing allegiance, whether citizens or not, to the United States." In section 212, "allegiance" means "permanent allegiance." 26 Ops. U.S. Att'y Gen. 376, 377 (1907).
^"8 FAM 505.2 Passport Endorsements".Foreign Affairs Manual. United States Department of State. June 27, 2018. RetrievedAugust 3, 2018.09 (ALL) THE BEARER IS A UNITED STATES NATIONAL AND NOT ...
^"… post offices, clerks of court, public libraries and other state, county, township, and municipal government offices to accept passport applications on its behalf …" U.S. Department of State,Passport Acceptance Facility Search Page.
^Robertson, Craig (2015). "Appendix: Important Dates in the History of the Regular United States Passport".The passport in America: the history of a document. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 253–260.ISBN978-0-19-025456-8.
^Anuário das Estatísticas do Turismo 2015 [Yearbook of Tourism Statistics 2015](PDF) (in Portuguese), Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE) of Angola, 2015, p. 31, archived fromthe original(PDF) on May 12, 2019, retrievedMay 12, 2019
Lloyd, Martin (2008) [2003].The Passport: The History of Man's Most Travelled Document (2nd ed.). Canterbury: Queen Anne's Fan.ISBN978-0-9547150-3-8.OCLC220013999.
Salter, Mark B. (2003).Rights of Passage: The Passport in International Relations. Boulder, Co: Lynne Rienner Publishers.ISBN978-1-58826-145-8.OCLC51518371.
United States Department of State, Passport Office, The United States Passport: Past, Present, Future (Washington, D.C.: United States Department of State, Passport Office, 1976).
United States Department of State, Passports,Passport Home.
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