DC office closes Nov 25

State Department - Visas

State Department

Traveling Abroad

Before visiting a foreign country and in the planning of a trip abroad, you should ensure that all of your travel concerns are addressed. My staff would be happy to help you by answering questions regarding your passport application or by providing information on travel warnings provided by the State Department.

Passports
Passports are obtained through the Passport Services Division of the U.S. Department of State. Through your local passport acceptance agent, usually the Post Office or local Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, you can apply for a new passport, renew your old one, or do any of a number of things, including replacing a lost, stolen, or damaged passport, or adding new pages to your existing book. My office is pleased to assist constituents with their passport needs. However, please note that my office does not process applications, but can only help to expedite them.

For those who require a passport for the first time or need to replace or renew their passport please visit the U.S. Department of State Passport Services web site, which contains answers to frequently asked questions regarding passports, as well as updated fee information, necessary applications, and the procedure for mail-in expedition.

While passports usually take from 4 to 6 weeks to issue, you may need to receive your passport in a hurry for upcoming travel. For a $60.00 fee, plus the cost of 2-way overnight mail, you can expedite this process and receive your passport in 7 to 10 business days (14 calendar days). Please contact your local passport acceptance agent with questions.

Should you require a passport for travel within two weeks (14 days) or will need a foreign visa for travel, you may decide to expedite your passport in person for, in most situations, same-day passport production. The Special Issuance Agency of the Washington, D.C. Passport Agency is open, Monday through Friday, from 8:15am until 4:30pm and serves, by referral only, applications referred by Congressional offices and those for Diplomatic, Official, and No-Fee passports. My office can refer you to this Agency and arrange an appointment for you.


For more information, please contact my Hampton Roads office.

International Travel Information

You have your passport and you are ready to go on your trip, right? Not quite.

Before you travel abroad, please check with the country or countries you will be visiting to determine whether or not you will need a Visa. A Visa is permission from a country to cross their borders and comes in the form of a page inserted in your U.S. Passport. You usually have to mail your passport to the Embassy or Consulate of the country you will be visiting, so allow plenty of time to accomplish this.

Also, please check to see if the State Department has issued Travel Warnings or Public Announcements for the country you intend to visit and review the Consular Information Sheets and Country Background Notes published on your travel destination. You may wish to register your trip at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country you are visiting, important as it makes your presence and whereabouts known in case it is necessary for a consular officer to contact you in an emergency. The State Department also provides links and contacts for U.S. Embassies and Consulates throughout the world at its website.

Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides a website concerning travelers’ health, offering advice on vaccine requirements, disease outbreaks, food and water precautions, and health recommendations by country and by region.

Other sources that offer important information about traveling abroad include the Central Intelligence Agency’s World Fact Book and the State Department’s Consular Affairs Publications, both of which provide Americans with information such as travel tips for all Americans, foreign entry requirements, and information about what to do in case of emergency or crisis abroad.



I will be traveling to the Middle East next month. How can I find out if it is safe for me to go?

I will be traveling abroad this summer with my family. Will we need certain vaccinations?

I will be traveling to several countries this summer. I've got a passport, but are there any other entry requirements?

If you would like my help with State Department issue, please print out my authorization form below and fax or mail it to my office.

Consent Authorization Form