Please follow the steps below before your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti.
Beginning Feb 1, 2024, ONLY beneficiaries with appointment letters may enter the Consular Section. No petitioners or dependent children without appointments may enter.
Exceptions include:
On December 7, 2020 Djiboutian immigration announced that visitors to Djibouti must obtain an “eVisa” prior to arrival in Djibouti in accordance with Djiboutian law.
Schedule a medical exam in Djibouti as soon as you receive your appointment date. Click the “Medical Exam Instructions” button below for a list of designated doctors’ offices in Djibouti.
It is important that you bring all required original documents to your interview. We’ve created a checklist that will tell you what to bring. Please print the checklist below and bring it to your interview along with the listed documents.
Read our interview guidelines to learn about any special actions that you need to take before your visa interview.
The Government of Djibouti has discontinued use of the e-Visa. Visitors to Djibouti can apply for a visa in advance of their travel at the Embassy of the Republic of Djibouti in Washington, D.C. (or elsewhere abroad depending where you are physically located), or can apply for a visa upon arrival. Details on costs and duration of stay can be found in this PDF from the Government of Djibouti.
Actions to take:
All immigrant visa applicants, regardless of age, require a medical examination prior to the issuance of a visa. Only a physician accredited by the U.S. Embassy can perform this exam.
Approved Physicians
Dr. Nicolas Georgalis
Immeuble BDMO, Place Lagarde, Djibouti City (white building adjacent to CNSS and facing plaza located on Rue Marchand; enter stairwell nearest traffic circle and Parliament) Mailing address: P.O. Box 1188 Djibouti, Rep. of Djibouti
Phone: (+253) 21 35 38 59
Fax: (+253) 21 35 00 14
Dr. Fozia Osman
Clinique le Heron, Heron, Djibouti City. (blue and white building approximately one block from Cash Center Supermarket).
Phone: (+253) 21 34 55 13 or (+253) 77 23 22 22
Email: info@clinique-le-heron.com
Items to bring to your medical examination
Bring the following items to your medical exam:
Any medical examination fees, including x-ray and blood test fees, must be paid directly to the examining physician. Current exam fees vary by clinic and the tests required by the CDC. Charges may be up to 70,000 DJF (approx. 395 USD) per applicant. The fee for DNA collection is 15,000 DJF (approx. 85 USD) for the first person. Each additional person is 10,000 DJF (approx. 55 USD).
During the medical exam
The medical examination will include a medical history review, physical examination, and chest X-ray, gonorrhea test, and blood tests (for applicants 15 years of age or older). The United States also requires tuberculosis-(TB) testing for all applicants two years of age and older. Please be prepared to discuss your medical history, medications you are taking, and current treatments you are undergoing. More information on general medical requirements for U.S. immigrants is available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
U.S. immigration law requires immigrant visa applicants to obtain certain vaccinations prior to the issuance of a visa. Current immigrant visa vaccination requirements are available on CDC.Gov. You can also read Frequently Asked Questions about our medical examination requirements at Travel.State.Gov.
After the medical exam
When your examination is completed, the doctor will send the report directly to the U.S. Embassy. Any x-rays taken will be given to you. You DO NOT need to bring the x-rays to your visa interview unless you suffer from tuberculosis (TB). However, you must carry the x-rays with you when you travel to the United States for the first time. The medical report must be less than six months old when you enter the United States as an immigrant.
Please use the list below to determine the items that every applicant must bring to the immigrant visa interview:
Applicants who fall into any category listed in italics below should bring these additional documents:
For family-based visa applications:
If you are married: Your original marriage certificate, English translation, and a photocopy of both.
If you were previously married: Your original divorce or spouse’s death certificate, English translation, and a photocopy of both.
If you are older than 16 years of age: The original police certificate from your country of current residence and countries of previous residence. If these three items are all true, you must bring a more recent police certificate to the interview:
For employment-based visa applications: Letter from your U.S. employer dated less than one month ago.
If you have ever been convicted of a crime: Court and criminal records, English translation, and a photocopy.
If you have served in any country’s military: Military records, English translation, and a photocopy.
If you are adopted: Adoption papers or custody documents, English translation, and a photocopy.
If you are the petitioner’s stepchild: The original marriage certificate of the petitioner and your biological parent, English translation, and a photocopy along with divorce records for any previous marriages of either parent.
Special note to U.S. Citizen petitioners planning to attend the interview with your relative: Children born abroad to at least one U.S. citizen parent may have a claim to U.S. citizenship and may be eligible for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) If you plan to apply for CRBAs and/or passports for your U.S. citizen children while in Djibouti for your relative’s immigrant visa interview, please visit the following site for instructions.
https://dj.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/citizenship-services/
https://dj.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/
CRBA and passport appointments are in high demand, so you will need to plan well ahead. We will not be able to accept CRBA or passport applications on the day of your relative’s IV interview.
Sending documents to the U.S. Embassy Djibouti
If the consular section requires additional documents, they will provide instructions on how to submit those to the embassy.
Rescheduling or cancelling your interview
If you are unable to attend your appointment, please email ConsularDjibouti@state.gov. There may be a significant wait before the next available appointment, so please attempt to attend the date already assigned. For some family-based and employment preference visa categories, a visa became available within the month you have been scheduled by NVC. DV applicants should be aware that visas are numerically limited and must be issued by September 30 of the program year. There is no guarantee that a visa will still be available on the date of your rescheduled interview. Please carefully consult the Visa Bulletin before you decide to reschedule your interview.
Security screening procedures
All visitors to the U.S. Embassy must follow certain security procedures. Any visitor who declines to be screened by U.S. Embassy security personnel will be unable to enter the embassy. To avoid delaying your entry and that of those in line behind you, please bring only what is required for your interview.
Accompanying persons
The following persons may accompany a visa applicant to their interview:
Attorneys are not permitted to accompany clients into the waiting room or to their interview.
Immigrant visa fees
If you have not paid all required fees to the National Visa Center, please be prepared to pay these fees on the day of your interview. All fees may be paid in U.S. dollars or the Djiboutian franc equivalent. We accept cash (U.S. dollars or Djiboutian Francs) and credit cards only. All bills must be in good condition. We cannot accept $100 bills issued 2009 or earlier. Please note that if you are found ineligible to receive a visa, the application fee cannot be refunded. A complete list of fees can be found here.
Do not make travel plans outside of Djibouti
If your visa is issued, we will keep your passport at the embassy while we prepare your immigration packet and print a visa for your passport. Please monitor your account at https://ceac.state.gov. When the status shows “issued” you will know it is time to pick up your visa. You may do so at 2:00PM Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you need photo identification while your passport is at the embassy, please make sure you have a valid picture id or copy of your passport.
Administrative Processing information
There are only two possible outcomes for U.S. visa applications. The consular officer will either issue or refuse the visa. If a visa applicant has not established that he or she is eligible for a visa, the consular officer must refuse that application. However, some refused visa applications may require further administrative processing. When administrative processing is required, the consular officer will inform the applicant at the end of the interview. The duration of the administrative processing will vary based on the individual circumstances of each case. At the conclusion of the administrative processing period, the consular officer might conclude that an applicant is now qualified for the visa for which he or she applied. The officer may also conclude that the applicant remains ineligible for a visa. Visa applicants are reminded to apply early for their visas, well in advance of the anticipated travel date.
Except in cases of emergency travel (i.e. serious illnesses, injuries, or deaths in your immediate family), before making inquiries about status of administrative processing, applicants should wait at least 180 days from the date of interview or submission of supplemental documents, whichever is later.
What happens after visa approval
Passport, Visa, and Sealed Immigrant Packet – We will place your immigrant visa on a page in your passport. Please review your visa to make sure there are no spelling errors. In some cases, we will also give you a sealed envelope containing documents that you must give to U.S. immigration authorities when you arrive in the United States for the first time. Do not open this envelope. You must carry it with you; do not put it in your checked luggage. If you receive X-rays during your medical examination, carry those with you and give them to the U.S. immigration authorities.
USCIS Immigrant Fee – All individuals who are issued immigrant visas overseas must pay an Immigrant Fee to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) prior to traveling to the United States. This fee is for processing your residency status and printing your Permanent Resident Card. The only people exempt from paying this fee are: children entering the United States under the Hague Process, returning residents, and people traveling on a K visa.
When You Should Travel – You must enter the United States before the expiration date on your visa, which is usually six months from the date of your completed medical exam. Your visa cannot be extended and all fees are nonrefundable. The principal applicant must enter before or at the same time as other family members with visas.
Getting a Green Card – Your Form I-551 Permanent Resident Card, also known as a green card, will be automatically mailed to the address in the United States that you write in your visa application form. This is a very important document that proves you have permission to reside in the United States. If you plan to travel outside the United States before your green card arrives: Please consult USCIS’s and CBP's websites for rules about what documents you need to reenter the country. We also recommend you check with the airline to ensure you are in compliance with their rules. Once your card is issued, you should not stay outside of the United States for more than one year or you could lose your status as a Lawful Permanent Resident.
Children’s Issues – Children are required to have certain vaccinations before they can enroll in school in the United States. Therefore, we recommend that you bring your child’s complete vaccination records with you to the UnitedStates. Additionally, if your child is adopted, you have full custody as a result of a divorce, or you share custody with thechild’s other parent, we recommend that you bring a copy of all applicable adoption or custody papers from the authoritative court in your home country. You will likely need these papers (translated into English) in the United States for issues such as school enrollment, medical care, and eventual citizenship.
Information for New Immigrants – Please visit the USCIS web page for helpful information on moving to the United States. You can read their publication “Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants” online.
If you are interviewing for a Diversity Visa (DV), all of the above instructions apply to you. Please schedule and attend a medical examination prior to your visa interview, and gather the required documents.
Below are additional instructions that apply only to DV applicants.
Bring to your interview
In addition to the documents listed on the Pre-Interview Checklist in this package, DV applicants should also bring the following items to your visa interview:
Review your DV Lottery entry
Prior to your visa interview, we recommend that you review the data on your initial E-DV entry. On your initial E-DV application, you must have correctly entered your marital status. If you are legally married you must have listed your spouse, even if you are currently separated from him/her (unless your spouse is a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident).
Additionally, you must have listed ALL of your living children who are unmarried and under 21 years old. This includes your natural children, your spouse’s children, or children you have formally adopted in accordance with the laws of your country.
Failure to have listed an existing spouse or children at the time of your entry in the Diversity Visa lottery will result in the denial of your visa and visas for your family. Any fees paid to the U.S. government in support of your visa application(s) are nonrefundable. If you failed to include a child who had already been born, or a spouse to whom you were married when you entered the lottery, you should not proceed with the visa application. You can review the eligibility requirements online.
Last updated: 12/18/2023
Lot 350-B Haramouss B.P. 185
Djibouti
