Embassy of the United States

Passports

Emergency Passport Replacement 

If you were issued an emergency limited-validity passport because of an imminent departure, we encourage you to replace it with a full-validity passport immediately upon completion of your travel. All applicants, including children, may apply by mail as long as the emergency passport is still valid. (See general conditions below.)

Please note that two consecutive emergency passports cannot be issued and that an application for a full-validity passport takes approximately two weeks to process.

All emergency passports, including those for minors under age 16, must be replaced by mail.

You must submit the following to replace your emergency limited validity passport:

Note that the online version of the application form includes instructions on the backside written for use in the U.S., which do not apply to your application in France. Please follow specific instructions provided below:

• If your current, one-year validity emergency passport has not expired you will need to complete and submit the DS-5504 application form to the passport unit by mail. This applies to all applicants. (For minors under age 16, the application form must be signed by the same person that signed the emergency passport). There is no fee for this service.
• If your current one-year validity emergency passport has expired you will need to complete and submit the DS-82 application form to the passport unit by mail.  However, for minors under age 16, the DS-11 application form must be completed and submitted in person. Please click here for more information since the minor child must reapply in person. In both cases you will have to pay the full fee for the new passport.
• Please type or print legibly in black ink when completing all sections of these application forms.  
• Please submit your emergency passport in all cases.  
• You must also submit the letter which you should have received at the time you obtained the limited validity passport with instructions on exchanging the passport, and; 
• Two (2) identical, recent, color photographs taken full face, with a white background, measuring 5 cm by 5 cm (2 in x 2 in). All French photo booth photographs are not acceptable. Please ask the photographer for photos for a U.S. passport, otherwise you may be given the wrong format. See our list of photographers.

All passports will be returned by mail using the Chronopost envelope tracking system.

When submitting your application with your current U.S. passport, please include a self-addressed Chronopost envelope available at all French post offices (one Chronopost envelope may contain several passports – maximum 8).

The Chronopost envelope tracking system guarantees a faster and more secure service for the return of your passport(s). 

Once we have received the complete passport application, it takes approximately two weeks for you to receive your new passport.

Please send your completed signed application form, photos, (payment if your limited-validity passport has expired,) Chronopost envelope and current passport to the following address:

U.S. Embassy
American Citizen Services
Passport Section
4, avenue Gabriel
75008 Paris

When traveling, please remember to carry a photocopy of your passport separately from your passport. In the event of loss or theft, the copy will facilitate issuance of an emergency passport.

Security at the Embassy

For security reasons, do not bring luggage--including large backpacks--laptop computers, or large cameras.   Security guards will hold small tourist cameras and cell phones until your departure, but there is no storage available for luggage, large backpacks, laptop computers, or large cameras—please do not bring them to the Embassy.