8 FAM 1304
Passport Waivers and Travel letters
8 FAM 1304.1
Introduction to Passport Waivers and Travel letters
(CT:CITZ-74; 06-28-2022)
(Office of Origin: CA/PPT/S/A)
8 FAM 1304.1-1 Introduction
(CT:CITZ-74; 06-28-2022)
a. This subchapter addresses the extremely rare situations when U.S. citizens/non-citizen U.S. nationals have an urgent need to travel and when the issuance of a passport is not possible:
(1) Enhanced border security requirements have decreased the use of both passport waivers (issued in the United States for travel abroad to certain countries) and travel letters (issued by posts abroad);
(2) Nevertheless, crisis situations abroad and unexpected emergency travel abroad in connection with the death or critical illness of an immediate relative occasionally require that the Department invoke these procedures;
(3) The issuance of a passport waiver or travel letter is an accommodation of last resort. If at all possible, the person should obtain a U.S. passport; and
(4) Posts may be able to facilitate the repatriation by air of a U.S. citizen who has a passport card (see 8 FAM 706.1), but who is unable to obtain a locally-issued emergency passport (see 8 FAM 706.2 regarding emergency passports). A passport card is proof of U.S. citizenship and identity, but the passport card is not International Civil Aviation Organization compliant and therefore may not normally be used for international air travel. Detailed guidance on this subject is provided in 8 FAM 1304.3.
b. Cards of identity and registration are obsolete and are no longer issued (see 7 FAM 1120 Appendix H, “Miscellaneous Citizenship and Nationality Related Certificates and Other Documents”).
c. Verification of citizenship and identity: The passport authorizing officer must be satisfied as to the U.S. citizenship and identity of the person to whom a passport waiver (domestic) or travel letter (overseas) is issued (see 8 FAM 300 and 8 FAM 400). Also, the applicant’s name must be cleared in the Consular Lookout and Support System and facial recognition (see 8 FAM 402.2 and 8 FAM 501).
d. Information establishing the critical emergency may be obtained from:
(1) Conversations with and/or fax/email from the applicant, attending physician, clergy, funeral director, etc.;
(2) Conversations with U.S. consular officers or the Consular Affairs Passport Services (CA/PPT) or Consular Affairs Overseas Citizens Services (CA/OCS) duty or country officers;
(3) Statements with and/or fax/e-mail submissions from family members or relatives of the applicant (usually a U.S. resident) in the United States directly with posts or with the CA/PPT or CA/OCS duty or country officers about the critical emergency; and
(4) The Department of Defense’s Office of Casualty Affairs.
e. The loss or theft of a passport is not, in and of itself, a basis for the issuance of passport waiver or travel letter.