NIH Employee Passports

Requirements for use of official passports

HHS employees on official international travel are required to use their official (or diplomatic) U.S. government passports unless the Department of State advises otherwise.

Exception: Travelers to Taiwan on official business must use their personal passport. No official or diplomatic passports are permitted.

Official passports are for official use only and may not be used for personal travel.

Individuals who are not eligible for official passports (e.g., fellows, such as IRTAs or CRTAs, and employees who are not U.S. citizens) are permitted to travel on official business with personal passports.

Passport validity

Although requirements vary by country, passports generally must be valid at least three to six months beyond the intended stay. Passports with less than 6 months validity remaining should be renewed prior to travel.

Apply for an official passport

To apply for an official passport, the traveler must be a:

1. U.S. citizen, and a
2. U.S. federal government employee.

Important: You must submit an Information Sheet (see detailed instructions below) along with any form you provide FIC.

Requests for official passports should be submitted eight weeks before your departure date. DOS processes official passport applications on a first-in, first-out basis.  Processing times can vary with increased demand and may lead to unexpected delays.  Limited staff availability and the need for agencies to make appointments to submit applications also may add additional processing time. Late passport requests may result in trip delays or cancellations or the traveler having to submit their request in person to DOS. 

To apply for an official passport, there must be a trip planned. Please note the tentative or definite destination on the Information Sheet.

All completed documents must be forwarded to FIC. Processing takes six to eight weeks.

Application DS-82 for official passport or renewing official passport

Use the DS-82 form to apply by submitting your personal passport; it will be returned to FIC with the new official passport.

NOTE: Use the instruction sheet given on this site, NOT the instructions on the State Department website! Only print pages 5 and 6 of the application:

• Information Sheet [PDF 35K]
• NIH Instructions for DS-82
• Passport application form

Application DS-11 for official passport when failing to submit personal passport

If you do not hold a U.S. personal passport book/card or do not wish to submit it for processing, the DS-11 form must be completed. The form should not be signed until you meet with a passport agent at FIC. Along with the DS-11 form, you must submit your birth certificate or naturalization certificate; it will be returned to FIC with the new official passport.

NOTE: Use the instruction sheet given on this site, NOT the instructions on the State Department website! Only print page 5 and 6 of the application:

• Information Sheet [PDF 35K]
• NIH Instructions for DS-11
• Passport application form

Additional visa pages

The State Department no longer adds extra visa pages to U.S. passports. NIH travelers who have run out of visa pages in their official passport will need to apply for a new passport using the DS-82 form.

DS-64: Statement regarding lost or stolen passport

This form should be submitted with the DS-11 application and its requirements if the official passport is lost or stolen.

NOTE: Use the instructions given on this site, NOT the instructions on the State Department website! Only print page 2of the application:

• Information Sheet [PDF 35K]
  
• DS-0064 "Statement Regarding a Lost or Stolen Passport"

Passport photos

Photos submitted with passport applications must be taken within the last six months. You can get passport photos from:

• NIH photography team, Events Management Branch, Multimedia Section
• Building 10, Room B2L328
• Telephone: 301-496-9993
• Hours: Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Thursday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m
• No appointment is necessary
• Bring a completed photography request form

Eye glasses may not be worn in passport photos. If you cannot remove your glasses for medical reasons, you’ll need to obtain and submit a signed statement from a medical professional or practitioner with your passport application.

Immunizations, medications, and preventative measures

Please contact the NIH Occupational Medical Service (OMS) four to six weeks prior to travel about Yellow Fever Cards or immunizations:

• Building 10, Room 6C306
• Telephone: 301-496-4411
• Please see the NIH Occupational Medical Service (OMS) website for further information and travel immunization request form.

Who to contact

Contact your Fogarty Specialist for assistance. 

Resources

• Foreign currency and currency exchange rates, including currency converters from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
• Foreign per diem rates from the U.S. Department of State
  
• International travel and health from the World Health Organization
• World Factbook from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
• Travel.State.gov, including travel warnings and consular information sheets, from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs
• CDC Health Information for International Travel (Yellow Book), the trusted travel medicine reference for health professionals and travelers
• Traveler's Health information from the National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus

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