Passport Services

Elimination of Visa Page Inserts for U.S. Passports

On January 1, 2016, the U.S. Department of State eliminated visa page inserts for U.S. passports. Previously, U.S. passport holders had the option to pay for the insertion of additional 24-page visa inserts when valid passports lacked adequate space for entry or exit visa stamps. The decision to discontinue this service was made to enhance the security of the passport and to abide by international passport standards.

To mitigate the impact on frequent travelers, the Department now issues 52-page passports to all applicants outside the United States for no additional cost.

Click Here to Schedule a U.S. Passport Appointment

We adjudicate passport applications for U.S. citizens applying for the first time, renewing an expired or expiring passport, or applying for a replacement for a lost or stolen passport. We also adjudicate U.S. passport card applications. Please see the drop-down menu below for information about application forms, fees, citizenship evidence requirements, and photo requirements. Adults (age 18+) wishing to renew their passport by mail may do so by following the instructions in the drop-down menu below (see “Renew an Adult U.S. Passport by Mail”) or make use of our Renewal by Mail Checklist.

Passport applications are normally processed within ten business days. In cases of genuine emergency, a three-month, limited-validity passport can be issued on the same day the application is approved.

Click here for complete information about applying for a U.S. passport outside of the United States.

There are several types of passport application forms. Please use the Department’s passport wizard to determine which form(s) to use.

It is required by the FAST Act that applicants provide a complete Social Security Number on their application.

The form DS-11 should be used for first-time passport applications of adults, minors (ages 16 and under), and to replace a adult or minor passport that has been lost or stolen. This form requires applicants to submit an original or certified copy of their primary citizenship evidence. This can be a U.S. birth certificate, naturalization certificate, citizenship certificate or Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA).

Form DS-82 may be used for adult passport renewals and extension of limited validity passports.

Form DS-5504 is for applicants requesting a change (e.g., name change after marriage) or correction of a printing error within one year of passport issuance.

In order to use the DS-82 application form, you must meet all of the following criteria:

  • You must have been issued a U.S. passport in your name within the past 15 years; and
  • You must submit your most recent U.S. passport with your application; and
  • You must have been age 16 or older when your most recent US passport was issued.

In addition to the completed passport application form, you will be required to submit:

Applications that do not meet this criteria should be made using the DS-11 form.

(Note: If filling out a passport form online, you cannot currently list a “Country” when completing the “Emergency Contact” section on our forms. Please list an emergency contact in the United States).

All adult passport renewals must include the following:

  • DS-82 Passport application (Note: Applicants must provide a complete Social Security Number on their applications as required by the FAST Act).
  • Your most recent U.S. passport.
  • One passport photograph: Photo must be 2″x 2″ (5cm x 5cm) with a white background and free of shadows. No eyeglasses can be worn in the photo.
  • Passport fee payment in U.S. Dollars, Namibian Dollars, or South African Rand. We also accept all major credit cards.
  • Your previous passport will be cancelled and returned to you with your new passport.

Parents or legal guardians applying for a minor’s (age 15 and under) first-time or renewal passport must submit a completed form DS-11 [Signed only in front of the Consular Officer at the time of your appointment].

It is required by the FAST Act, that applicants provide a complete Social Security Number on their application. If the applicant does not have a social security number, they (or their guardian) must complete an attestation of no social security number.

You will also need:

  • An original or certified photocopy of their primary citizenship evidence. This can be a U.S. birth certificate, naturalization certificate, citizenship certificate or consular report of birth abroad (CRBA).
  • If renewing, the child’s most recent U.S. passport.
  • Proof of relationship to the child; for example, certified birth certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), adoption decree, court order establishing custody, etc.
  • Photo identification of the parents/guardians.
  • Both parents must appear together to sign the application; OR
  • When only one parent appears, the applying parent/guardian should submit Form DS-3053, signed by the non-appearing parent and giving that parent consent to issuance of the passport; OR
  • The parent should submit primary evidence of sole authority to apply alone, such as a death certificate of the non-appearing parent, or an adoption decree giving sole custody.
  • If your child was under the age of five (<5) at the time of their previous passport’s issuance, you must provide age progression photos which reflect the physical changes in your child’s appearance during their growth and development. A minimum of two photos should be provided for each year beginning on the date on which the child’s previous passport was issued up to their current age. Example: If your child’s passport was issued in 2018 and you are applying to renew the passport in 2023, you should provide two photos of your child in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 for a minimum total of 10 photos.

Each minor (child under age 16) applying for a first time new, or renewal passport shall appear in person.

Most applicants age 16-17 must apply in person using Form DS-11.

If you have your own current identification document (ID), you may apply for a passport. You must show at least one legal parent or legal guardian is aware that you are applying for a passport. For more information, please see Children’s Passport Issuance Alert Program.

How to Show Parental Awareness:

  • A legal parent or legal guardian appearing with you in person when you apply for your passport. The agent or employee accepting the application will ask your legal parent or legal guardian to sign Form DS-11. Bring a photocopy of that parent or guardian’s ID.
  • Submit a signed note from your legal parent or legal guardian with a photocopy of their ID.

We may ask you to submit a notarized statement from your legal parent or legal guardian (e.g., on Form DS-3053) which states he or she supports you receiving a passport. The statement must be accompanied by a photocopy of that parent or guardian’s ID.

What to do:

  • Immediately notify the nearest Namibian Police station of the loss/theft.
  • Obtain a new passport at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. You must apply in-person.

Complete Form DS-11, Application for Passport. (Note: It is required by the FAST Act that applicants provide a complete Social Security Number on their passport application).

You will need:

Emergency passports are only issued in genuine emergencies. Evidence of the need for immediate, emergency travel should be submitted with your application. Emergency passports are typically valid for three to six months and cannot be extended.

When you receive your emergency passport, you will also receive a letter that explains how to obtain a regular passport after returning from your urgent travel.

If you apply for your regular passport within 1 year of the issue date of the emergency passport, you will not have to pay the fee again.

The United States Embassy in Namibia now accepts adult (age 18+) U.S. passport renewal applications by mail.  Applications to renew U.S. passports for minors must still be completed in-person at the Embassy in Windhoek.  Adult U.S. passports can still be renewed in-person at the Embassy, if preferred.

You can prepare and send your adult U.S. passport renewal application package at any time.  However, please note that the process may take up to six-weeks from the date we receive your application to when you receive your new passport book in the mail.

To be eligible to renew your passport by mail you must be able to respond “yes” to all statements below regarding your most recent adult U.S. passport:

  •  I can submit it with my application.
  •  It is not damaged (other than normal wear and tear).
  •  I have never reported it lost or stolen.
  •  It was issued within the last 15 years.
  •  It was issued when I was age 16 or older.
  • It was issued in my current name, or I can provide another document such as an original or certified copy of my marriage certificate or divorce decree that is evidence of my name change.
  • It was not limited to less than the normal 10-year period of validity for an adult passport due to multiple passport thefts or losses, or due to issues with passport damage or mutilation.

Qualifying adult passport renewal applicants must also be able to pay the $130 USD passport renewal fee online via U.S. or international credit or debit card, electronic funds transfer from a U.S.-based bank account, Amazon Pay, or PayPal.  The USD to NAD exchange rate will be determined by your financial institution if you elect to use a non-U.S. dollar denominated account.  We do not accept cash or checks when renewing by mail.

Eligible individuals are encouraged to use our Form Filler tool to electronically complete their DS-82 passport application.  Once completed, please print the application form out single-sided on plain white paper, hand-sign and date it, and courier it along with your most recent U.S. passport, one U.S. passport-sized photo, and your proof of payment from Pay.gov to the United States Embassy in Windhoek.  Please do not fold your application paperwork.

Applicants without Social Security Numbers (SSN) must complete a signed statement that they have never been issued a SSN.

Your completed U.S. passport application package should be couriered to:

Embassy of the United States of America
Attention: U.S. Citizen Services
14 Lossen Street
Ausspannplatz, Windhoek, Namibia

 

You MUST include a pre-paid NamPost “EasyPack 1” return envelope with your passport application for us to use when returning your new passport to you.  As of September 2023, the cost of an “EasyPack 1” is N$ 65.00 including shipping.  You must clearly and legibly complete all sections of the waybill for your return envelope in advance to reflect shipment from the U.S. Embassy in Windhoek to the Namibian address of your choice.  We will not ship U.S. passports internationally under any circumstances.

Your previous U.S. passport will be cancelled by punching holes in the biographic page and returned to you with your new U.S. passport.  If your old passport is linked to a valid visa, you can still use the valid visa.  In this case, you must travel with both your new and old passport.  Do not attempt to remove visas from your old passport and place them into your new passport.  Doing so will void the visa.

Please contact NamPost directly with questions about shipping costs, delivery speeds, insurance options, etc.  The United States Embassy in Namibia accepts no responsibility and is not liable for the damage or loss of any U.S. passport by a third-party courier service.

Any questions about the U.S. passport renewal-by-mail application process should be directed to ACSWindhoek@state.gov.

If you would like to apply for a U.S. passport, and you don’t have a Social Security number, you (minor) or (adult) will need to submit a statement, signed and dated, which includes the phrase, “I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the following is true and correct:  I have never been issued a Social Security number by the Social Security Administration.”

You can now select the binary gender option (M or F) you would like printed on your U.S. passport, even if the gender you select does not match the gender on your supporting documentation such as a birth certificate, previous passport, or state ID. We no longer require medical documentation to change the gender marker on your U.S. passport.

To request a new passport with a different gender than the one you have on your current passport, or if you are applying for your first passport, submit a new application and select your preferred gender marker. Follow the steps on this page to learn which form to submit.

Currently, the only gender markers available are M or F. We are working to add an X gender marker for non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming persons as soon as possible. We anticipate the process of updating our passport forms will be completed in early 2022. After this process is completed, passport applications will offer the X gender marker.

If you have changed your name by marriage or court order, you may apply for a passport in your new name by submitting your original marriage certificate or final court order.  If your U.S. passport was issued more than twelve months ago, please follow the instructions for a routine passport renewal.  If your U.S. passport was issued within the last twelve months, please use form DS 5504.

If you have a valid U.S. passport and you meet several additional requirements, you may be eligible to apply for a second U.S. passport book at the U.S. Embassy in Namibia. If eligible, the second passport will be valid for four years or less, and will display the exact same personal information on the photo ID page as seen in your other passport.

Examples of cases when we may issue second U.S. passport books include:

  • A foreign country will deny a visa or entry to you because your passport has stamps showing travel to certain countries. Example: an Israeli entry or exit stamp in some countries in the Middle East.
  • You need multiple visas on an ongoing basis because of frequent international travel. Example: you work for an international airline or a multinational company
  • You need a U.S. passport for urgent international travel but your application for a foreign visa is delayed or cannot be processed in time for your travel.
  • When you need a special validation for travel to a restricted country or area.

You must also complete a signed and dated statement clearly explaining why you need a second passport book and pay all applicable fees.

For more information, please visit: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/second-passport-book.html

  • Adults (First-Time) – Applying with DS-11 – Age 16 and older – $165
  • Emergency – Applying with DS-11 – $165
  • Adults (Renewal) – Applying with DS-82 – $130
  • Minors – Applying with DS-11 – Under Age 16 – $135
  • Passport Card – Applying using DS-82 or DS-11 – $30

We accept cash (U.S. dollars, Namibian dollars, or South African Rand) and all major credit cards. We cannot accept checks. Applicants may also use the U.S. Passport Fee Calculator to calculate the cost of your new passport.

ConsularWindhoek@state.gov

U.S. Embassy Windhoek
14 Lossen Street
Windhoek, Namibia