Message for U.S. Citizens: U.S. Embassy Port au Prince, Haiti

Returning Back to the U.S. on an Expired Passport:

If you are overseas and your passport expired on or after January 1, 2020, you may be able to use your expired passport to return directly to the United States until December 31, 2021.

You qualify for this exception if ALL of 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 5 years.
  • Your expired passport is undamaged.
  • Your expired passport is unaltered.
  • Your expired passport is in your possession.

You do NOT qualify for this exception 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 passport bearer in accordance with 22 CFR 53.2(b)(7) and 8 CFR 235.1(b).

Haiti has the highest (Level 4) Travel Advisory (“Do Not Travel”) for kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and COVID-19.  The travel advisory for Haiti, available at travel.state.gov, notes that kidnapping is widespread and victims regularly include U.S. citizens.

U.S. citizens should carefully consider the risks of traveling to or remaining in Haiti in light of the current security situation and infrastructure challenges in Haiti.  Security and infrastructure issues may limit access to essential services in an emergency, including access to banks, money transfers, urgent medical care, internet and telecommunications, and public and private transportation options.  Please see information on What the Department of State Can and Can’t Do in a Crisis.

Assistance: