• For travel on official or diplomatic duties for the U.S. government
• Not for personal travel other than entering or exiting your country of assignment
• Use it as long as you have the position or status for which we issued it
• Remains the property of the U.S. government, and you will need to return it to us
• Needs to be returned to your agency's passport office. If you are a Department of State employee, return to the Special Issuance Agency or your bureau's executive office.

A special issuance passport does not:

• Provide diplomatic immunity
• Exempt you from foreign laws, including customs, immigration, or labor laws. You may face increased scrutiny by foreign governments and other entities.
• Allow you to carry classified or sensitive material across international borders
• Allow you to avoid questions by foreign immigration officials or to ignore security checkpoints
• Provide a shield from arrest
• Shield you from the hazards of war, criminal violence, or terrorism
• Grant benefits to you which you are not otherwise entitled

• Many countries have more visa requirements if you have a special issuance passport. 
• Having an official or diplomatic visa does not result in diplomatic status or immunity.
• For more information on visa requirements, go to our Official and Diplomatic Visa Information page. You must be on a U.S. government-issued computer or mobile device.
• If you do not have access to OpenNet and need to contact our Visa Office, use our SIA Contact Us Portal. 

• You must sign your full name in your passport in black or blue ink. Do not edit your signature.

• On a passport for a child under 16, a parent should print the child's full name on the signature line. The parent should also:
  • Sign their name next to the printed name of their child, and 
  • Note their relation to the child (example: mother, father, or guardian)

• Keep your special issuance passport in a safe location. If you lose your special issuance passport or it is stolen in the United States, report it online. If you are overseas, contact the nearest embassy or consulate.

• When you report a passport lost or stolen, we cancel it and you cannot use it to travel.  

You can place your special issuance passport on file at SIA by following the steps on SIA's website. 

• You can only place diplomatic, official, or service passports on file that are valid for one year or more.
• If the passport has more than six months of validity, we can return it your federal agency if you need to travel again.
• If you send us a passport that has less than six months of validity, we will destroy it.

Placing a passport on file means:

• You do not have to submit a new application
• Your federal agency does not have to pay the Department of State to process a new application