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)

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has resumed limited citizenship services thru July 16. Routine consular services at U.S. Consulate General Vladivostok and U.S. Consulate General Yekaterinburg are suspended.

All passport appointments must be booked online.

In order to apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, please book an appointment online.

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow is resuming limited emergency notarial services for U.S. citizens seeking Marriage Letters and for parents of U.S. citizens seeking notarization of DS-3053 (Statement of Consent for Issuance of a Passport to a Minor under the Age of 16). In order to request an appointment for a marriage letter or DS-3053, please email  moscowacs@state.gov. We are unable to accommodate other types of notarial requests at this time.

Please note: If you are traveling from outside of Moscow to attend an appointment, we highly recommend that you reserve refundable travel. The Embassy may be required to cancel appointments and reduce services at any time due to the uncertainty of the COVID19 situation and significant staffing constraints. If that occurs, we will work to prioritize your case when conditions permit.

Alerts and Messages

See all Messages and Alerts for U.S. Visitors to Russia.