Travel Back To The US
with an Expired US Passport:
As of now, this will only apply through December 31, 2021.
Anyone whose US Passport expired after January 1st, 2020, may use that passport to return to the United States. This is a one-time permission per person, and the person MUST renew their passport in the US, prior to any additional travel.
You qualify for this exception if all the following are true:
- Your US passport expired on or after January 1, 2020
- 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 and unaltered.
- Your expired passport is in your possession.
You do not qualify for this exception if:
- Your US passport expired before January 1, 2020
- 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 (such as an emergency passport, valid for 1 year or less).
- Your expired passport is a special issuance passport (such as a diplomatic, official, service, or no-fee regular passport).
- Your expired passport is damaged or altered.
- Your expired passport is not in your possession.
Note: If you carry a valid Israeli passport, you will be able to travel to the United States with your expired American passport, and then return to Israel with your Israeli passport, However, you will NOT be able to travel back to the US with that passport again, so it is strongly recommended that you renew your US passport while in the United States. If you do not possess dual citizenship, you will need to obtain a new US passport before returning to Israel, as Israel will not grant entry to travelers with expired foreign passports.
When traveling back to the USA on an expired US passport as detailed above, we strongly advise the following:
- Arrive at the airport about 4 hours prior to flight departure time, to allow for any potential extra processing or verification time.
- Be aware that upon arrival in the USA, there is a high likelihood that you will be required to undergo a brief secondary screening process from United States Customs and Border Patrol.
Urgent First-Time Passports and Children’s Renewals
If you need a passport urgently, either for urgent upcoming travel or for visa purposes, you can email either [email protected] or [email protected], to request an emergency appointment. The subject line should include the word URGENT and the reason for your request e.g. “Urgently need a passport for emergency travel” or “urgently need a passport for visa and insurance purposes”. Include the details (names, birthdays, and passport numbers) of all family members that will be attending the appointment, and attach all relevant documentation (expired visas, parents’ passports, and visas, child’s birth certificate, form DS-2029, and/ or paid ticket and proof relating to the urgency of your travel, etc).