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 fromthe 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.

All other passport rules and regulations remain in effect. The Department of Homeland Security maintains discretion to reject any bearer in accordance with 22 CFR 53.2(b)(7) and 8 CFR 235.1(b)

Suspension of Routine Consular Services

As a result of critical staffing shortages due to the Russian government’s forced reduction of our consular workforce, American Citizen Services are available only on an emergency basis in Moscow.

We encourage U.S. citizens seeking citizenship services to schedule appointments with neighboring U.S. embassies and consulates and regret the inconvenience that the suspension in services has caused. Please be aware that processing times may be longer than normal.

U.S. citizens seeking to register the birth of their child in Russia may apply at Embassies Riga, Tallinn, or Tbilisi. These embassies are authorized to accept and adjudicate Consular Report of Birth Abroad applications for children born in Russia.  U.S. citizens may also apply for CRBAs at any U.S. embassy or consulate.  U.S. citizens are subject to host country entry requirements, including COVID-19 restrictions.  Check each embassy’s COVID-19 page for updated information on entry restrictions.

Returning to the United States on an Expired Passport

How to Apply for an Emergency Passport Appointment:

The U.S. Embassy will continue to accept emergency passport appointments in the following circumstances:

• U.S. citizens resident in Russia who require a new U.S. passport to remain in compliance with Russian immigration law
• A demonstrable, life-or-death emergency requiring immediate travel to the U.S. (booking travel with an expired U.S. passport does not qualify).

If you meet the criteria above, you can request an emergency appointment by emailing MoscowACS@state.gov. In the e-mail, please include the following information:

• If renewing, a scanned copy of the U.S. passport to be renewed
• Scanned copy of your Russian visa OR explanation of your emergency situation, with supporting documentation (such as a letter from doctor).
• If a first-time applicant, scans of citizenship evidence such as a U.S. birth certificate

• Copies of both parents’ passports in the case of minor applicants
• Purpose of travel
• Destination
• Intended dates of travel
• Your country of residence

The e-mail subject line should read: Emergency Passport Appointment Request – (Applicant’s name) – (Applicant’s date of birth), for example, Emergency Passport Appointment Request – John Doe – 01 January 1980.

All emergency passport appointments must be scheduled via email.