United States passport

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Cover of a biometric passport (2007)
Cover of a biometric passport (2007)
Cover of a passport (1930)
Cover of a passport (1930)
Cover of a passport (1976)
Cover of a passport (1976)
Cover of a non-biometric passport
Cover of a non-biometric passport

Passports are issued by national governments to facilitate international travel. United States passports are issued exclusively by the U.S. Department of State.[1]

These passports, which are booklets, are valid for travel by Americans anywhere in the world. United States passports conform with recommended standards (i.e., size, composition, layout, technology) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The Department of State also issues passport cards, which are valid for travel by Americans via land and sea (not air) between the United States and Canada, between the United States and Mexico, between the United States and Bermuda, and between the United States and Caribbean destinations:[2] Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica (except for business travel), Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos.[3] Passport cards are not passports, because passport cards do not meet ICAO recommended standards for passport booklets.[4]

Whichever the country of issuance, a passport proves the nationality of the bearer. A passport is connected with the right of a national of the country which issued the passport to consular assistance from the issuing county while the national is abroad, and with the right of the national to enter the country of which is a national. However, the right to assistance does not arise from a passport, nor does the right to enter. Each of the rights arises from nationality.

It follows that a United States passport proves the United States nationality of the bearer, and, consequently, his right to assistance from United States consular officials overseas or his right to return to the United States, as the case may be. If a citizen does not have a passport (e.g., because it was stolen), and he can prove his United States nationality by another means (e.g., by providing information about himself), he will be entitled to consular assistance as a citizen or to enter the United States as a citizen, lack of a passport notwithstanding.

Contents

[edit] History

American consular officials issued passports to some citizens of some of the thirteen states during the War for Independence (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.[5]

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 the Constitution. In September of that year, the name of the department was changed to Department of State. The department handled foreign relations and issued passports, and, until the mid-nineteenth 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 by notaries public. 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 to the Department of State sole authority to issue passports.[6]

From 1776 to 1783, no state government had a passport requirement. The Articles of Confederation government did not have a passport requirement. From 1789 through late 1941, the government established under the Constitution required passports of citizens only during the American Civil War (1861-1865) and during United States involvement in World War I and for some time thereafter (August 8, 1918-March 3, 1921).[7] The contemporary period of required passports for Americans, under United States law, began on November 29, 1941.

In Europe, general peace between the end of the Napoleonic Wars (1815) and the beginning of World War I (1914), and development of railroads, gave rise to international travel by large numbers of people. Passports were not usually required; there were limited wars which caused some exceptions. Repressive countries such as Czarist Russia and the Ottoman Empire maintained passport requirements. During World War I (1914-1918), European countries had passport requirements. After that war, many European countries retained their passport requirements. Foreign passport requirements undercut the absence of a passport requirement for Americans, under United States law, between 1921 and 1941. World War II (1939-1945) led to worldwide passport requirements, which were not abolished when that war ended.

Even when passports were not usually required, U.S. passports were requested by Americans. 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 female 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 its mother. The passport would be issued to the mother. The number of Americans who traveled without passports is unknown.[8]

The League 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 about languages in passports. See Languages, below.

A conference on travel and tourism held by the United Nations in 1963 did not result in standardised passports. Passport standardization was accomplished in 1980 under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

The design and contents of U.S. passports changed over the years.[9] For example, in 1926, the Department of State introduced the type III passport. This had a stiff red cover, with a window cutout through which the passport number was visible. That style of passport contained 32 pages.[10] Illustration: cover -- above right.

Passports had green covers from 1941 until 1976, when the cover was changed to blue, as part of the U.S. bicentennial celebration. Illustration: cover -- above right. Green covers were again issued from April, 1993, until March, 1994, and included a special one-page tribute to Benjamin Franklin in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the United States Consular Service.

In 1981, the United States became the first country to introduce machine-readable passports.[11] In 2001, the Department of State started to issue passports with digital photos.

In fiscal year 2006, the Department of State issued 12,133,537 passports.[12]

In 2006, the Department of State began to issue biometric passports to diplomats and other officials.[13] Later in 2006, biometric passports were issued to the public.[14] Illustration: cover -- above right. Since August 2007, the department has issued only biometric passports. An issued non-biometric will remain valid until its stated date of expiration.[15]

[edit] Bureaucracy

Within the Department of State, responsibility for passport issuance lies with Passport Services, a unit of the Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Passport Services has thirteen regional passport agencies and one Gateway City Agency in the United States, at which passport applications may be filed by citizens who intend to travel within two weeks of the application date, or who need to obtain visas before travelling. 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.[16]

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.

[edit] Citizens and non-citizen nationals

United States passports are issuable only to citizens and non-citizen nationals of the United States.[17]

"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States . . .."[18] Under this provision, "United States" means the 50 states and the District of Columbia, and, so, excludes a U.S. territory or possession.[19]

By acts of Congress, persons born in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands are United States citizens by birth.[20] Other acts of Congress provide for acquisition of citizenship by persons born abroad.[21]

Every citizen is a national of the United States. Not every national is a citizen. There is a small class of American Samoans, born in American Samoa, including Swains Island, who are nationals but not citizens of the United States.[22] See Passport message, below.

United States law permits dual nationality.[23] Consequently, having and using a foreign passport are permissible. When, however, a U.S. citizen uses a passport to leave or enter the United States, he is required to use a U.S. passport.[24] This requirement extends to a U.S. citizen who is a dual national.[25]

[edit] Types of passports

Cover of a biometric official passport
Cover of a biometric official passport
Regular (blue cover)
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.[26] Illustration: cover -- above right. A sub-type of regular passports is no-fee passports, issuable to citizens in specified categories for specified purposes. Examples: A U.S. government employee, for travel on official business; an American seaman, for travel connected with his duties aboard a U.S.-flag vessel. Period of validity: generally 5 years from the date of issue.[27] A no-fee passport has an endorsement which prohibits its use for a purpose other than the specified purpose.
Official (maroon cover)
Issuable to citizen-employees of the United States assigned overseas, either permanently or temporarily, and their eligible dependants, and to members of Congress who travel abroad on official business. Period of validity: generally five years from the date of issue.[28] Illustration: cover -- right.
Diplomatic (black cover)
Issuable to American diplomats accredited overseas and their eligible dependants, and to citizens who reside in the United States and travel abroad for diplomatic work. Period of validity: generally five years from the date of issue.[29]
Emergency
Issuable to citizens overseas, in urgent circumstances. Period of validity: generally one year from the date of issue.[30] An emergency passport may be exchanged for a full-term passport.[31]

[edit] Passport in lieu of certificate of non-citizenship nationality

The Department of State does not get many requests for certificates of non-citizenship nationality, which are issuable by the department. Production of a limited number of certificates would be costly, and, if produced, certificates would have to meet security standards. Accordingly, the Department of State chose not to issue certificates of non-citizen nationality. Instead, the department issues passports to non-citizen nationals. An issued passport certifies the status of a non-citizen national.[32] The certification is in the form of an endorsement in the passport: "The bearer of this passport is a United States national and not a United States citizen."

[edit] Second passport

More than one valid United States passport of the same type may not be held, except if authorized by the Department of State.[33]

It is routine for the Department of State to authorize a holder of a regular passport to hold, in addition, a diplomatic passport or an official passport or a no-fee passport.

One circumstance which may call for issuance of a second passport of a particular type is a prolonged visa-processing delay. Another is safety or security, such as travel between Israel and a country which refuses to grant entry to a person with a passport which indicates travel to Israel. The period of validity of a second passport issued under either circumstance is generally two years from the date of issue.[34]

[edit] Format

On the front cover, a representation of the Great 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" (in script) appears below.

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 biometric passport has the e-passport symbol at the bottom.

Illustrations: covers -- above right and top of page right; cover and selected pages -- [35].

There are 32 pages in a biometric passport. Forty-eight-page passports for frequent travellers (e.g., businessmen) are no longer issued. However, extra visa pages may be added to a passport.[36]

[edit] Data page and signature page

Signature page and data page of a biometric passport (2007)
Signature page and data page of a biometric passport (2007)

Each passport has a data page and a signature page. Illustration: data page and signature page -- right.

A data page has a visual zone and a machine-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"]
  • Code [of the issuing country, which is "USA" for "United States of America"]
  • Passport No.
  • Surname
  • Given Name(s)
  • Nationality [which is "United States of America"]
  • Date of Birth
  • Place of Birth
  • Sex
  • Date of Issue
  • Date of Expiration
  • Authority
  • Endorsements

At the bottom of a data page is the machine-readable zone, which can be read both visually and by an optical scanner. The machine-readable zone consists of two lines. There are no blank spaces in either line. A space which does not contain a letter or a number is filled with "<".

The first line of a machine-readable zone of a passport contains a letter to denote the type of travel document ("P" for passport), the code for the citizenship of the passport holder (e.g., "USA" for "United States of America"), and the name (surname first, then given name or names) of the passport holder.

The second line of a machine-readable zone of a passport contains the passport number, supplemented by a check digit; the code of the issuing country (e.g., "USA" for "United States of America"); the date of birth of the passport holder, supplemented by a check digit; a notation of the sex of the passport holder ("M" or "F"); the date of expiration of the passport, supplemented by a check digit; and, at the end of the line, two overall check digits.

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. If a holder is unable to sign his passport, it is to be signed by a person who has legal authority to sign on the holder's behalf.[37]

[edit] Passport message

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 that he or she be allowed to enter and pass through the other country, and requests further that, when necessary, he or she be given help consistent with international norms. In United States passports, the message is in English, French and Spanish. The message is:

In English:

The Secretary 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.

in French:

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.

and in Spanish:

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 aqui nombrados, sin demora ni dificultades, y en caso de necesidad, prestarle toda la ayuda y protección licitas.

The term "citizen/national" and its equivalent terms ("citoyen ou ressortissant"; "ciudadano o nacional") are in the message, because some people born in American Samoa, including Swains Island, are nationals but not citizens of the United States.

[edit] Languages

At a League of Nations conference in 1920 about passports and through-train travel, a recommendation was that passports be written in French (historically, the language of diplomacy) and one other language.

English, the de-facto national language of the United States, has always been used in U.S. passports. At some point subsequent to 1920, English and French were used in passports. Spanish was added during the second Clinton administration, in recognition of Spanish-speaking Puerto Rico. The addition indirectly recognises Spanish-speaking U.S. citizens whose origins are Spanish-speaking countries.[citation needed]

The field names on the data page, the passport message, the warning on the second page that the bearer is responsible for obtaining visas, and the designations of the amendments-and-endorsements pages, are printed in English, French and Spanish.

[edit] Biometric passport

Biometric passports contain RFID (radio-frequency identification) chips. The purpose of chips is storage of biometric and other data, which are retrievable. (Biometric passports are sometimes referred to as electronic passports, because chips are electronic.)

The legal driving force of biometric passports is the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002, which states that smart-card IDs may be used in lieu of visas. That law also provides that foreigners who travel to the U.S., and want to enter the U.S. visa-free under the Visa Waiver Program, must bear machine-readable passports which comply with international standards. If a foreign passport was issued on or after October 26, 2006, that passport must be a biometric passport.

The chip 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.[15] The capacity of an RFID chip is 64 kilobytes, which is large enough to store, in addition to an image of a photograph, passport data and personal data, biometric identifiers such as fingerprints and retina scans.

Data in a passport chip are scannable by readers, a capability which is intended to speed up immigration processing. A passport does not have to be plugged into a reader in order for data therein to be read. Like toll-road chips, data in passport chips can be read when passport chips are proximate to readers. The passport cover contains a radio-frequency shield, so the cover must be opened for the data to be read.

According to the Department of State, the Basic Access Control (BAC) security protocol prevents access to those data unless the printed information within the passport is also known or can be guessed.[38]

According to privacy advocates, the BAC and the shielded cover are ineffective when a passport is open, and that 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 illicit 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.[39]

[edit] Visa-free entry or visa on arrival

In 2006, the United States had a Henley Visa Restrictions Index of 130. This means that holders of regular U.S. passports had visa-free entries into or were entitled to obtain visas on arrival in 130 countries and territories. The United States, Finland, and Denmark ranked first on the list.[40]

According to the list below, 187 countries and territories allow visa-free entries by or issue visas on arrival to holders of regular U.S. passports.

The numerical difference between the index and the list is due to when each was prepared, and to inclusion or exclusion of territories and dependencies, e.g., Guam (United States), Jersey and Guernsey (United Kingdom), Greenland (Denmark).

If neither visa-free entry nor a visa on arrival is permitted, a visa prior to travel is required.[41]

For travel on a diplomatic passport or on an official passport issued by a foreign country, a visa prior to travel will likely be required by a destination country, even if the destination country allows visa-free entries by or issues visas on arrival to holders of regular passports issued by the same foreign country.

Countries and territories with visa-free entries or visas on arrival for holders of regular U.S. passports

[edit] Africa

Countries and Territories Conditions of access
Flag of Botswana Botswana 90 days [1]
Flag of the Comoros Comoros visa issued upon arrival [2]
Flag of Côte d'Ivoire Côte d'Ivoire 90 days [3]
Flag of Djibouti Djibouti 30-day visa issued upon arrival for DJF5,000 [4]
Flag of Egypt Egypt 30-day visa issued upon arrival for US$15 [5]
Flag of Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea visa-free access [6]
Flag of Ethiopia Ethiopia 3-month visa issued upon arrival for US$40 [7][8]
Flag of Kenya Kenya 3-month visa issued upon arrival for US$50 [9][10]
Flag of Lesotho Lesotho 14 days [11][12]
Flag of Madagascar Madagascar 90-day visa issued upon arrival for MGA28,000 [13]
Flag of Malawi Malawi 90 days [14]
Flag of Mauritius Mauritius 6 months per year (tourist), 90 days per year (business) [15][16]
Flag of Mayotte Mayotte 90 days [17]
Flag of Morocco Morocco 3 months [18][19]
Flag of Mozambique Mozambique 30-day visa issued upon arrival for US$25 [20]
Flag of Namibia Namibia 90 days [21]
Flag of Niger Niger 1-month issued upon arrival for XOF20,000 [22]
Flag of Réunion Réunion 90 days [23]
Flag of Rwanda Rwanda 90 days [24]
Flag of Saint Helena Saint Helena visa-free access
Flag of Senegal Senegal 3 months [25]
Flag of the Seychelles Seychelles 1 month [26]
Flag of South Africa South Africa 90 days [27]
Flag of Swaziland Swaziland 60 days [28]
Flag of Tanzania Tanzania visa issued upon arrival for US$50 [29][30]
Flag of Togo Togo 1-month visa issued upon arrival for XOF10,000 ~ XOF35,000 [31]
Flag of Tunisia Tunisia 4 months [32]
Flag of Uganda Uganda 6-month visa issued upon arrival for US$50 [33][34]
Flag of Zambia Zambia visa issued upon arrival for US$25 (single), US$80 (multiple) [35][36]
Flag of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe 3-month visa issued upon arrival for US$30 ~ 55 [37]

[edit] North America, South America and Carribean

Countries and Territories Conditions of access
Flag of Anguilla Anguilla 3 months [38][39]
Flag of Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda 1 month [40][41]
Flag of Argentina Argentina 90 days [42]
Flag of Aruba Aruba 3 months [43]
Flag of the Bahamas Bahamas 3 months [44]
Flag of Barbados Barbados 6 months [45][46]
Flag of Belize Belize 90 days [47][48]
Flag of Bermuda Bermuda 6 months [49][50]
Flag of Bolivia Bolivia visa issued upon arrival for US$100 [51][52]
Flag of Canada Canada 6 months [53][54]
Flag of Cayman Islands Cayman Islands 30 days [55]
Flag of Chile Chile 90-day passport validity long multiple entry visa issued upon arrival for US$131 [56]
Flag of Colombia Colombia 90 days [57][58]
Flag of Costa Rica Costa Rica 90 days [59]
Flag of Dominica Dominica 6 months [60]
Flag of the Dominican Republic Dominican Republic 30-day tourist card issued upon arrival for US$10 [61][62]
Flag of Ecuador Ecuador 90 days [63][64]
Flag of El Salvador El Salvador 90 days, $10 Tourist card must be purchased on arrival [65]
Flag of the Falkland Islands Falkland Islands 3 months [66]
Flag of French Guiana French Guiana 90 days [67]
Flag of Greenland Greenland 3 months [68]
Flag of Grenada Grenada 3 months [69][70]
Flag of Guadeloupe Guadeloupe 90 days [71]
Flag of Guatemala Guatemala 90 days [72]
Flag of Guyana Guyana 3 months [73]
Flag of Haiti Haiti 3 months [74]
Flag of Honduras Honduras 3 months [75]
Flag of Jamaica Jamaica 30 days [76][77]
Flag of Martinique Martinique 90 days [78]
Flag of Mexico Mexico 180 days [79][80]
Flag of Montserrat Montserrat 3 months [81]
Flag of the Netherlands Antilles Netherlands Antilles 3 months [82]
Flag of Nicaragua Nicaragua 90 days [83]
Flag of Panama Panama 30-day Tourist Card issued upon arrival for US$5 [84][85]
Flag of Peru Peru 90 days [86]
Flag of Puerto Rico Puerto Rico unlimited access [87]
Flag of Guadeloupe Saint Barthélemy 90 days [88]
Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Kitts and Nevis 14 days [89]
Flag of Saint Lucia Saint Lucia 6 weeks [90][91]
Flag of Guadeloupe Saint Martin 90 days [92]
Flag of Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Pierre and Miquelon 90 days [93]
Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1 month [94]
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago 3 months [95]
Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands Turks and Caicos Islands 30 days [96]
Flag of Uruguay Uruguay 3 months [97][98]
Flag of Venezuela Venezuela 3 months [99][100]
Flag of the British Virgin Islands British Virgin Islands 30 days [101]
Flag of the United States Virgin Islands United States Virgin Islands unlimited access [102]

[edit] Asia

Countries and Territories Conditions of access
Flag of Armenia Armenia 21-day visa issued upon arrival for US$30 [103]
Flag of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan 30-day visa issued upon arrival for US$100 [104]
Flag of Bahrain Bahrain 14-day visa issued upon arrival for BHD5 [105][106]
Flag of Brunei Brunei Darussalam 90 days (VWP) [107]
Flag of Cambodia Cambodia 30-day visa issued upon arrival for US$20 (tourist), US$25 (business) [108]
Flag of the Republic of China Republic of China (Taiwan) 30 days [109]
Flag of Hong Kong Hong Kong 90 days [110]
Flag of Indonesia Indonesia 30-day visa issued upon arrival [111]
Flag of Iraq Iraq (Iraqi Kurdistan only) visa issued upon arrival at Erbil airport (free of charge) [112]
Flag of Israel Israel 3 months [113]
Flag of Japan Japan 90 days (VWP) [114]
Flag of Jordan Jordan visa issued upon arrival for JOD10 [115][116]
Flag of South Korea South Korea 90 days [117][118]
Flag of Kuwait Kuwait 3-month visa issued upon arrival for KWD3 [119][120]
Flag of Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan 1-month visa issued upon arrival for US$36 ~ 70 (business),US$35 (single tourist),US$55 (multiple tourist) [121][122]
Flag of Laos Laos 30-day visa issued upon arrival for US$30 [123]
Flag of Lebanon Lebanon 1-month visa issued upon arrival (free of charge) [124][125]
Flag of Macau Macau 30 days [126]
Flag of Malaysia Malaysia 3 months [127]
Flag of the Maldives Maldives 30 days [128]
Flag of Mongolia Mongolia 90 days [129]
Flag of Nepal Nepal 60-day visa issued upon arrival for US$30 [130]
Flag of Oman Oman 1-month visa issued upon arrival for OMR6 [131]
Flag of the Philippines Philippines 21 days [132]
Flag of Qatar Qatar 21-day visa issued upon arrival for QAR55 [133][134]
Flag of Singapore Singapore 90 days (VWP) [135]
Flag of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 30 days (free visa on arrival) [136]
Flag of Thailand Thailand 30 days [137]
Flag of East Timor Timor-Leste 30-day visa issued upon arrival for US$30 [138]
Flag of Turkey Turkey 3-month visa issued upon arrival for US$20, €15 [139]
Flag of the United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates 60 days [140]
Flag of Yemen Yemen 1-month visa issued upon arrival for YER10,500 [141]

[edit] Europe

Countries and Territories Conditions of access

[edit] Flag of Europe European Union

Flag of Austria Austria 90 days in a 180 day period [142][143]
Flag of Belgium Belgium 90 days in a 180 day period [144][145]
Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria 90 days [146]
Flag of Cyprus Cyprus 90 days [147]
Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic 90 days in a 180 day period [148][149]
Flag of Denmark Denmark 90 days in a 180 day period [150][151]
Flag of Estonia Estonia 90 days in a 180 day period [152][153]
Flag of Finland Finland 90 days in a 180 day period [154][155]
Flag of France France 90 days in a 180 day period [156][157]
Flag of Germany Germany 90 days in a 180 day period [158][159]
Flag of Greece Greece 90 days in a 180 day period [160][161]
Flag of Hungary Hungary 90 days in a 180 day period [162][163]
Flag of Ireland Republic of Ireland 3 months [164]
Flag of Italy Italy 90 days in a 180 day period [165][166]
Flag of Latvia Latvia 90 days in a 180 day period [167][168]
Flag of Lithuania Lithuania 90 days in a 180 day period [169][170]
Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg 90 days in a 180 day period [171][172]
Flag of Malta Malta 90 days in a 180 day period [173][174]
Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands 90 days in a 180 day period [175][176]
Flag of Poland Poland 90 days in a 180 day period [177][178]
Flag of Portugal Portugal 90 days in a 180 day period [179][180]
Flag of Romania Romania 90 days in a 180 day period [181] [182]
Flag of Slovakia Slovakia 90 days in a 180 day period [183][184]
Flag of Slovenia Slovenia 90 days in a 180 day period [185][186]
Flag of Spain Spain 90 days in a 180 day period [187][188]
Flag of Sweden Sweden 90 days in a 180 day period [189][190]
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 6 months [191]

[edit] Non-EU

Flag of Albania Albania 1 month with entry tax : €10 [192][193]
Flag of Andorra Andorra 90 days [194]
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina 90 days [195]
Flag of Croatia Croatia 90 days [196][197]
Flag of the Faroe Islands Faroe Islands 3 months (same as Denmark) [198]
Flag of Georgia (country) Georgia 90 days [199]
Flag of Gibraltar Gibraltar visa-free access [200]
Flag of Guernsey Guernsey 6 months (same as UK) [201]
Flag of Iceland Iceland 3 months in a half year [202]
Flag of the Isle of Man Isle of Man 6 months (same as UK) [203]
Flag of Jersey Jersey 6 months (same as UK) [204]
Flag of Liechtenstein Liechtenstein 3 months in half a year (same as Switzerland) [205]
Flag of the Republic of Macedonia Macedonia 3 months [206]
Flag of Moldova Moldova 90 days [207]
Flag of Transnistria Transnistria no visas required [208]
Flag of Monaco Monaco 90 days [209]
Flag of Montenegro Montenegro 90 days [210]
Flag of Norway Norway 3 months in half a year [211]
Flag of San Marino San Marino 90 days [212]
Flag of Serbia Serbia 90 days [213][214]
Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 3 months in half a year [215]
Flag of Ukraine Ukraine 90 days [216][217]
Flag of the Vatican City Vatican City 90 days [218]

[edit] Oceania

Countries and Territories Conditions of access
Flag of American Samoa American Samoa visa-free access [219]
Flag of the Cook Islands Cook Islands 31 days [220]
Flag of Fiji Fiji 4 months [221]
Flag of Guam Guam unlimited access [222]
Flag of Kiribati Kiribati 28 days [223]
Flag of the Marshall Islands Marshall Islands visa-free access [224]
Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia Federated States of Micronesia 30 days[225][226]
Flag of New Caledonia New Caledonia 90 days [227]
Flag of New Zealand New Zealand 3 months [228]
Flag of Niue Niue 30 days [229]
Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands Northern Mariana Islands unlimited access [230]
Flag of Palau Palau 1 year [231][232]
Flag of Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea 60-day visa issued upon arrival for PGK100 (tourist), PGK500 (business) [233]
Flag of French Polynesia French Polynesia 90 days [234]
Flag of Samoa Samoa 60 days [235]
Flag of the Solomon Islands Solomon Islands 3-month visitor permit issued upon arrival [236]
Flag of Tokelau Tokelau free cruising permit can be obtain in Apia, Samoa [237]
Flag of Tonga Tonga 31-day visa issued upon arrival (free of charge) [238]
Flag of Tuvalu Tuvalu 1 month [239]
Flag of Vanuatu Vanuatu 30 days [240][241]
Flag of Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna 90 days [242]
Flag of Australia Australia pre-arrival Electronic Travel Authority required [243]
Flag of Norfolk Island Norfolk Island same as Australia [244]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ 22 U.S.C. sec. 211a; Passports.
  2. ^ http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html.
  3. ^ http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_3256.html.
  4. ^ 72 Fed. Reg. 74,169, 74,172 (2007) ("Global Interoperability of the Passport Card").
  5. ^ Lloyd, Martin, The Passport: The History of Man's Most Travelled Document (Stroud, U.K.: Sutton Publishing, 1976) (ISBN 0750929642), pp. 71-72.
  6. ^ Lloyd, pp. 80-81.
  7. ^ Act of May 22, 1918, 40 Stat. 559; Proc. No. 1473 (Aug. 8, 1918), 40 Stat. 1829; Act of March 3, 1921, 41 Stat. 1359.
  8. ^ Passport Applications
  9. ^ 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), passim.
  10. ^ Lloyd, p. 130.
  11. ^ Lloyd, p. 155.
  12. ^ Passport Statistics. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
  13. ^ U.S. Department of State (2006-02-17). "Department of State Begins Issuance of an Electronic Passport". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
  14. ^ U.S. Department of State (2006-08-14). "Department of State Begins Issuing Electronic Passports to the Public". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
  15. ^ a b The U.S. Electronic Passport. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
  16. ^ Passports. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
  17. ^ 22 U.S.C. sec. 212.
  18. ^ U.S. Const. amend. XIV, sec. 1.
  19. ^ Valmonte v. Immigration and Naturalization Service, 136 F.3d 914, 918 (2nd Cir. 1998).
  20. ^ 8 U.S.C. secs. 1402 (Puerto Rico), 1406 (Virgin Islands), and 1407 (Guam); 48 U.S.C. sec. 1801, US-NMI Covenant sec. 303 (Northern Mariana Islands).
  21. ^ Citizenship and Nationality. U.S. Department Of State. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
  22. ^ 8 U.S.C. sec. 1408.
  23. ^ Perkins v. Elg, 307 U.S. 325 (1939).
  24. ^ 8 U.S.C. sec. 1185(b).
  25. ^ http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1753.html.
  26. ^ 22 C.F.R. secs. 51.3(a), 51.4(b)(1), 51.4(b)(2), 51.4(e).
  27. ^ 22 C.F.R. secs. 51.4(b)(3), 51.52, 51.4(e).
  28. ^ 22 C.F.R. secs. 51.3(b), 51.4(c), 51.4(e).
  29. ^ 22 C.F.R. secs. 51.3(c), 51.4(d), 51.4(e).
  30. ^ 7 FAM sec. 1311(i); 22 C.F.R. sec. 51.4(e).
  31. ^ http://singapore.usembassy.gov/replace_an_emergency_passport.html.
  32. ^ CERTIFICATES OF NON-CITIZEN NATIONALITY. U.S. Department Of State. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
  33. ^ 22 C.F.R. sec. 51.2(b).
  34. ^ http://bern.usembassy.gov/second_passport.html; 22 C.F.R. sec. 51.4(e).
  35. ^ Design of the New U.S. e-Passport. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
  36. ^ How to Add Extra Pages to Your U.S. Passport. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
  37. ^ 22 C.F.R. sec. 51.4(a).
  38. ^ The U.S. Electronic Passport Frequently Asked Questions. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved on 2008-01-15.
  39. ^ http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/09/renew_your_pass.html.
  40. ^ International Visa Restrictions. Henley & Partners. Retrieved on 2008-01-15.
  41. ^ Passport, Visa & Health Requirements. Northwest Airlines. Retrieved on 2008-01-15.

[edit] Bibliography


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