Security Message for U.S. Citizens: Transportation Strike/Demonstrations/Tropical Storm Maria

The U.S. Embassy informs U.S. citizens of plans for widespread transportation strikes and demonstrations for Monday, September 18 in Port-au-Prince and other parts of Haiti. Due to these planned activities, the Embassy will open on Monday, September 18 at 9:00am with limited staffing. Embassy personnel have been advised to keep children at home and not send them to school.

Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. You should avoid areas of demonstrations, and exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations.

To reschedule immigrant or nonimmigrant visa appointments, or for any visa-related questions, please call 509-2812-2929 or email support-Haiti@ustraveldocs.com. To reschedule an American Citizen Services (ACS) appointment, please email acspap@state.gov. For emergencies involving U.S. citizens in Haiti, please call 509-2229-8000.

The National Hurricane Center reports that Tropical Storm Maria is expected to become a hurricane later today or tonight. On the forecast track, the center of Maria will move across the Leeward Islands Monday night. The Embassy will continue to monitor the storm’s progress, and we encourage U.S. citizens to do so as well. U.S. citizens should apprise family and friends in the United States of their whereabouts, and keep in close contact with their tour operator, hotel staff, and local officials for any evacuation instructions.

Information on hurricanes and storm preparedness may be found on our “Hurricane Season-Know Before You Go “ webpage, and on the “Natural Disasters” page of the Bureau of Consular Affairs website. Updated information on travel in the Haiti may be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 within the United States and Canada, or from overseas, 1-202-501-4444.These numbers are available from 8:00 am to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
We strongly recommend that all U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Haiti enroll in the Department of State’s secure online Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to contact you in an emergency.

Travelers are advised to regularly monitor the travel information page of the State Department’s website where you can find the current travel warnings for Haiti, travel alerts, and the Worldwide Caution. Read the Country Specific Information for Haiti<http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1134.html>. For additional information, refer to “Travelers Checklist” on the State Department’s website.

Visit the U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince website, or contact the Embassy for up-to-date information on travel restrictions. You can also call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free from within the United States and Canada, or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Follow the Bureau of Consular Affairs on Twitter and Facebook. For all emergencies involving U.S. citizens, contact the American Citizen Services unit of the U.S. Embassy’s consular section, located at Tabarre 41, Boulevard du 15 Octobre, Tabarre, Haiti; telephone (dialing from the United States) 011-509-2229-8000; acspap@state.gov<mailto:acspap@state.gov>.