United States passport

United States passport
Front covers of different United States passport types
The polycarbonate data page of a contemporary next generation United States biometric passport
TypePassport
Issued byDepartment of State
First issued1775 (first version)
1926 (booklet)
1981 (machine-readable passport)
December 30, 2005 (diplomatic biometric passport booklet)
2006 (regular biometric passport booklet)[1]
2021 (next generation passport booklet)[2]
In circulation151.8 million[3]
PurposeIdentification
Valid inAll countries except North Korea[4]
EligibilityUnited States nationality
ExpirationNormally 10 years after acquisition for people at least age 16; 5 years for minors under 16[5]
CostBooklet: $165 (first), $130 (renewal), $135 (minors)
Card: $65 (first), $30 (when applying for or holder of a valid passport booklet), $30 (renewal), $50 (minor), $15 (minor, when applying for passport booklet)[6]
Websitetravel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports.html/
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United States passports are passports issued to citizens and nationals of the United States of America.[7] They are issued exclusively by the U.S. Department of State.[8] Besides passports (in booklet form), limited-use passport 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 the Western 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 December 2023, a United States passport allows visa-free travel to 186 countries and territories, being ranked as the seventh most powerful in the world in terms of travel freedom.

US passport booklets conform with recommended standards (i.e., size, composition, layout, technology) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).[13] There are five types of passport booklets; the State Department has issued only biometric passports since August 2007.[14] US passports are federal property and must be returned upon demand.[15]

By law, a valid unexpired US passport (or passport card) is conclusive (and not just prima facie) proof of US citizenship, with the same force and effect as proof as certificates of naturalization or citizenship if issued to a US citizen for the full period allowed by law.[16] US law does not prohibit its citizens from also holding passports of other countries.[17]

  1. ^ "Department of State Begins Issuance of an Electronic Passport". U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  2. ^ "Next Generation Passport". travel.state.gov. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  3. ^ "Reports and Statistics". Bureau of Consular Affairs. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  4. ^ "Passport for Travel to North Korea". travel.state.gov.
  5. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". U.S. Passports & International Travel. United States Department of State. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  6. ^ "United States passport fees". United States Department of State.
  7. ^ 22 U.S.C. sec. 212; Passports.
  8. ^ 22 U.S.C. sec. 211a; Passports
  9. ^ "Passport Card" Archived January 17, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. U.S. Department of State.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference revocations was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ § 215 of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (currently codified at 8 U.S.C. § 1185)
  12. ^ "Title 22: Foreign Relations" (PDF). Code of Federal Regulations. Federal Register National Archives and Records Administration. 2019. part 53.
  13. ^ International Civil Aviation Organization, Doc 9303, Machine Readable Travel Documents, Part 1: Machine Readable Passport, Volume 1, Passports with Machine Readable Data Stored in Optical Character Recognition Format, Part 1, Machine Readable Passport (6th ed. 2006), Volume 2: Specifications for Electronically Enabled Passports with Biometric Identification Capabilities (6th ed. 2006).
  14. ^ "The U.S. Electronic Passport" Archived September 6, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
  15. ^ "22 CFR 51.7 – Passport property of the U.S. Government". Cornell, NY: Legal Information Institute. April 1, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  16. ^ 22 U.S.C. § 2705
  17. ^ "Dual Nationality". travel.state.gov.