Public Services and Information
Passport Services
Applications for new passports are accepted at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Passports are printed at the National Passport Center in the United States, except in cases of emergency travel (see note below). Please allow two weeks for delivery.
Documentary Requirements (except for those applying in conjunction with an application for a Consular Record of Birth Abroad):
1. Proof of Citizenship (please bring one of the following original documents):
- Previously issued U.S. passport;
- U.S. birth certificate (original or certified copy);
- Certificate of Naturalization; or
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad.
For information about how to obtain your U.S. birth certificate please see: http://travel.state.gov/passport/services/cert/cert_2257.html.
2. Proof of Identity (please bring one of the following original documents):
- Previously issued U.S. passport;
- Certificate of Naturalization;
- A formal identity document issued by a competent authority of the municipality, state, or country in which the applicant resides (e.g. driver’s license).
3. U.S. passport photographs:
- Two identical photographs meeting the following parameters are required:
- The photograph must measure 2”x 2” (approximately 5cm or 50mm square) with no border.
- The background must be white. The face should cover about 50 percent of the photo and measure between 1” x 1 3/8” (25mm to 35mm).
- The photo must be full face with the applicant looking straight into the camera.
- The hair from the crown should be visible and the ears should be exposed (no head coverings or veils).
- The photo must be taken within the last six months.
Procedure:
1. Complete the appropriate passport application form (DS-11 or DS-82) in black ink only, legibly and completely. You may use passport application form DS-82 only if: you have been issued a U.S. passport in your name within the past 15 years; you are able to submit your most recent U.S. passport at the time of application; and you were at least 16 years of age when your most recent passport was issued. If the passport you are applying for is a replacement for a lost, stolen or mutilated passport you must use for DS-11.
2. Submit the application and required supporting documents to the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy. All applicants are required to appear in person to submit passport applications. You must sign your application before a Consular Officer.
3. Pay the required fees: $85 for a minor application (under 16), $75 for an adult renewal, or $100 for an adult first-time issuance or a replacement passport. All fees must be paid in cash at the cashier's window in U.S. dollars.
Additional Requirements for Lost or Stolen Passports:
1. Applicants must present the original Afghan police report concerning the circumstances of the loss or theft; and,
2. Applicants must complete a Statement Regarding a Lost or Stolen Passport (DS-64).
Emergency Travel
As noted above, passports generally take two weeks to process. In cases of emergency travel, where waiting two weeks for the passport will cause undue hardship, the Consular Section is authorized to print a limited-validity passport which is good for one year only and cannot be extended.
Passport Amendments/Additional Pages
The only amendment currently allowed to a passport is the addition of visa pages (form DS-4085). For all other amendments, the passport must be renewed using form DS-82 and following the procedure detailed above. There is no fee for additional pages. Due to changes in how additional pages are processed, this service can no longer be provided immediately upon request. Please present your passport and completed DS-4085 to the Consular Section before noon any business day. You or someone acting on your behalf may collect the passport with the additional pages either the next morning or, in urgent circumstances and under prior arrangement, at the close of business that same day. Applications for additional pages received in the afternoon will be processed the next business day.