Haiti: Meaning of the alpha-numeric passport code; specifically, what the letters CU stand for at the beginning of the alpha-numeric passport code
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa |
| Publication Date | 19 August 2009 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | HTI103241.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Haiti: Meaning of the alpha-numeric passport code; specifically, what the letters CU stand for at the beginning of the alpha-numeric passport code, 19 August 2009, HTI103241.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4b20f03a26.html [accessed 14 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In a 13 August 2009 telephone interview, a consular official at the Embassy of Haiti in Washington, DC stated that the two letters at the beginning of the alpha-numeric Haitian passport code represent the location from which the individual applied for the passport. When asked what the letters CU represent, the Consular Official stated that CU is the code for Curacao, which means that a person with these letters in his or her alpha-numeric passport code applied for their passport from Curacao (Haiti 13 Aug. 2009). The Official offered the following additional codes, but said that she would not be able to provide a master list: HA – Haiti; PP – Port-au-Prince; NY – New York, New York; WA – Washington, DC; FL – Miami, Florida; CH – Chicago, Illinois (ibid.).
After speaking with the passport section of the Ministry of the Interior of Haiti, the Official explained that the numbers following the two letters in the passport booklet are printed in the passport booklet before the individual's details are added; in this sense, the number portion of the alpha-numeric code does not represent information pertaining to the individual, but is instead assigned at random (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Reference
Haiti. 13 August 2009. Embassy of Haiti, Washington, DC. Telephone interview with a consular official.
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: the Canadian Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti did not respond within the time constraints of this Response.
Internet sites, including: Consolate Général de la République d'Haïti à Montréal,
Consolate Général de la République d'Haïti à New York, Keesing Reference Systems.
