Emergency passports for American citizens

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

AS a result of the recent incident involving American Airlines Flight 331, which overshot the Norman Manley International Airport on December 22, 2009, the US Embassy is providing this special feature for American citizens whose identification or travel documents were lost or stolen.

Special processing hours

Today, the American Citizens Services (ACS) unit will use the hours from 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm to focus all of its personnel resources on issuing emergency passports for American citizens whose passports were lost or destroyed in the incident. However, American citizens are encouraged to contact the ACS unit at any time if they are in need of assistance, would like to apply for an emergency passport, or want updates on the incident or their belongings. The ACS unit can be reached at 876-702-6450 during normal business hours from 7:00 am until 4:00 pm, at 876-702-6000 after hours or on the upcoming holidays, or by e-mail at KingstonACS@state.gov. American citizens are also welcome to visit the US Embassy to speak with staff or ask questions.

Register your presence

The US Embassy always recommends that American citizens travelling to Jamaica for business or pleasure register their presence with our office. In situations such as we have just experienced, we strongly encourage American citizens who were victims in the AA331 crash to contact the embassy at their earliest convenience to register themselves with our office. Registration ensures that we have a record of your presence in Jamaica and a means for contacting you should we obtain any updates on the current situation. Registration is especially important in this circumstance since we may receive calls from your family or loved ones requesting information about you.

You can register with our office using the same contact information provided above for the ACS unit. Our office is also able to provide you information about local doctors or hospitals, victims' assistance resources, local hotels and lodging, and methods for contacting or following-up with American Airlines.

General passport information

In general, to obtain a new or replacement passport, the following is needed:

* Proof of US Citizenship (ie, a previous passport, birth certificate, report of birth abroad, naturalisation certificate, etc.)

* Valid, Government-Issued Photo Identification

* Two 2" by 2" (5 cm x 5 cm) photos

* Application form completely filled out and signed: https://pptform.state.gov/

* Application fee

* Lost/stolen passport form, if applicable: http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds64/ds64_845.html

Our office understands that victims of the AA331 incident may have lost identification or proof of citizenship, and also may not have Internet access. We welcome you to visit our office, where we can assist you in proving your identity and provide you with copies of the necessary forms to apply for a passport. Fees for new and replacement passports are as follows: $75 USD -- if the old passport can be presented; $100 USD -- without the old passport (or if the passport was issued more than 15 years ago or prior to age 16); and $85 USD -- for minors under the age of 16.

Lost, stolen and emergency passports

American citizens may apply for an emergency, limited-validity passport in certain emergency situations, such as the recent AA 331 crash.

An emergency passport is generally issued on the same day, has a limited validity, and allows you immediate travel to the US American citizens receiving emergency passports from our office will be required to submit an application for a full-validity, regular passport upon their return to the United States, at no additional charge. Individuals that are planning to stay in Jamaica for several weeks may choose to apply for a regular passport, which takes approximately one to two weeks in processing time. Whether applying for an emergency passport or a full-validity, regular passports, the fees and requirements are the same. Please note that persons who have never been issued a passport as well as those whose passports have expired, will not qualify for emergency passport issuance, except in extreme circumstances.

The American Embassy staff in Kingston will answer any questions you may have regarding US consular law, regulations and/or practice. In order to respect the privacy of applicants, the embassy will not answer questions on specific personal applications.

Send your questions to: editorial@jamaicaobserver.com and we will send them to the embassy.

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Emergency passports for American citizens