Dear American Citizen Community, As a reminder, Visa Pages Inserts will no longer be available after December 31 – please plan accordingly if you would like to have more visa pages inserted into your current passport. Additionally, we are now accepting appointments for our ACS Outreach in Jubail in December. Please email DhahranACS@state.gov if you are interested in scheduling an appointment in Jubal in December. Plan now. Avoid stressful travel later.
In 2007, the Department of State experienced an unprecedented surge in passport applications, issuing over 18 million passports as a result of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). Nearly ten years later, those passports are beginning to expire, and the Department has been experiencing increased demand for passport renewals. We expect the increase in passport applications to continue through 2018. Compounding this increase will be the cessation of Visa Page Inserts (or supplemental visa pages) on December 31, 2015. Whether you are renewing a passport or applying for the first time, the passport application process can be completed without added stress if done ahead of time.
- Apply during the off-peak season from September through December to help ensure timely processing of your passport.
- Our busiest months are January through August when passport demand is extremely high and when applications may take longer to process.
- Many countries require U.S. passports to have at least 6 months of validity and some require two blank pages for entry. Review the entry/exit requirements for your destination now.
- Look out for passport expiration dates because they can differ. Many parents forget or don't realize that a child's passport is valid for 5 years unlike adult passports which are valid for 10 years.
Please encourage your friends, family, and registrants to submit passport applications well ahead of their planned travel dates in order to avoid delays receiving their travel documents. --- American Citizen Services Consulate General of the United States | Dhahran, Saudi Arabia U.S. Department of State | +966.013.330.3200 | DhahranACS@state.gov Register at https://step.state.gov/step/
