US citizens can now return on expired passports

[cavok]

From: "SDOAmericans@state.gov" <SDOAmericans@state.gov>
To:
Sent: Tue, May 25, 2021 at 10:00 AM
Subject: Alert - U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo (May 25, 2021)
Message to U.S. Citizens: U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo (May 25, 2021)

Location: Santo Domingo

Event: U.S. citizens may directly return to the United States with certain expired U.S. passports.

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 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.

 

[Radical]

Good information.

 

[DR Solar]

From: "SDOAmericans@state.gov" <SDOAmericans@state.gov>
To:
Sent: Tue, May 25, 2021 at 10:00 AM
Subject: Alert - U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo (May 25, 2021)
Message to U.S. Citizens: U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo (May 25, 2021)

Location: Santo Domingo

Event: U.S. citizens may directly return to the United States with certain expired U.S. passports.

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 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.

Why is this news? Ours close to expire, sent FedEx to center in U.S. after following on line directions and had new ones in 3 weeks.

 

[Africaida]

Why is this news? Ours close to expire, sent FedEx to center in U.S. after following on line directions and had new ones in 3 weeks.

There are cases where that option won't be possible.

For my children passport, I need to go with their father or have him sign and notarized the passport application. Complicated. Note: I do not travel for this reason without a significant cushion in their passport expirations.

I am sure there are more "special" cases, due to people being stuck overseas due to COVID.

 

[cavok]

Why is this news? Ours close to expire, sent FedEx to center in U.S. after following on line directions and had new ones in 3 weeks.

For one, this was never possible before. Also, if your passport has expired or will expire before you plan to return, no need to spend your money on FedEx international courier fees. Do it when you return.

I think you were very lucky getting it in 3 weeks. The rest of the report says:

"Please be advised that currently, routine passport processing in the United States can take 10-12 weeks. If you need a passport in less than 10-12 weeks due to international travel plans, you can pay an additional $60 fee to expedite your passport, which will shorten the processing time to 4-6 weeks"