Everything you need to know about emergency passports

25.07.2024 - 17:15 / thepointsguy.com

The U.S. Department of State issues a limited number of emergency passports on a case-by-case basis for U.S. citizens who need a passport to travel.

Emergency passports are available for life-or-death situations and to those attempting to replace a lost or stolen passport.

U.S. citizens in need of this type of passport while abroad can apply to have one issued by the presiding local U.S. Embassy or consulate; the emergency passport will be valid for limited travel.

Here's everything you need to know about emergency passports.

"The emergency passport is a type of limited-validity passport issued in urgent or emergency circumstances by a U.S. embassy or consulate for U.S. citizens who must return to the United States as soon as possible from a foreign country," a State Department spokesperson said. "The emergency passport has a purple cover with the words 'emergency passport' on the front."

Emergency passports are only valid for a maximum of one year.

Emergency passports are issued in the following circumstances:

"An imminent life-or-death emergency means an immediate emergency that severely endangers the health or safety of the applicant or another individual (such as a medical procedure to sustain life that can only be performed in another country) or impairs the ability of the applicant to attend to a dying relative whose death is impending or to attend a funeral of a relative," said the U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerland. "Applicants seeking a life-or-death exception must provide documentary evidence sufficient to validate the situation."

Certain countries, including France, do not allow Americans to enter using an emergency passport.

"The Government of France does not recognize the 12-page U.S. emergency passport, issued by U.S. embassies and consulates overseas, as a valid travel document for visa-free entry into France," said the Embassy of the United States of America in France. "If traveling on this emergency passport, you may be refused boarding and/or entry by immigration officials."

Only those transiting through France en route to the U.S. can do so with an emergency passport.

Because the State Department does not maintain a list of countries that accept emergency passports, travelers must check the entry and exit requirements of their desired destination.

"Some countries may not accept an emergency passport and you could be refused entry by immigration officials or denied boarding by airline personnel," notes the Consulate General of the United States for Hong Kong and Macau. "We strongly recommend that you research the entry and exit requirements of your destination before you travel."

Turnaround times will vary by embassy and availability. For example, the U.S. Embassy in Switzerland