Haiti: Procedures to obtain or renew a Haitian passport while in the United States; length of time an application takes; whether the procedure is uniform throughout the US; whether the national identification card number appears on the passport
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa |
| Publication Date | 10 January 2008 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | HTI102707.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Haiti: Procedures to obtain or renew a Haitian passport while in the United States; length of time an application takes; whether the procedure is uniform throughout the US; whether the national identification card number appears on the passport, 10 January 2008, HTI102707.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/47d654561e.html [accessed 19 May 2023] |
| 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 19 December 2007 telephone interview with the Research Directorate, an assistant coordinator from the consular section of the Embassy of the Republic of Haiti in Washington, DC indicated that an applicant wanting a passport must appear in person at the Embassy or at the nearest consulate (Boston, Chicago, Miami or New York) and that the application procedure is the same in each of these places (Haiti 19 Dec. 2007; see also Haiti 2005).
The procedure to obtain or renew a passport is described on the website of the Embassy of Haiti in Washington, DC (ibid. n.d.) and on the website of the Consulate in New York (ibid. 2005).
According to the website of the Consulate General in New York, an applicant must apply in person so that a consular agent can witness the signing of the necessary forms (ibid.). An applicant must provide the following documents: the expired passport if applicable, a birth certificate or a certified copy or a birth certificate from the National Archives and two different pieces of identification (ibid. n.d.; ibid. 19 Dec. 2007); only one piece of identification is needed for a passport renewal (ibid.). The applicant must also provide "[t]wo (2) color pictures (passport size) no more than six (6) months, bearing the seal of the photographer and date. The bearer will register his/ her name on the back of the pictures" (Haiti n.d.). Depending on the applicant's situation, other documents might be needed such as:
the original Marriage certificate if the applicant is a married woman; the Act of Divorce if the applicant is a divorced woman; the Death certificate of the husband if the woman is widowed; a parental authorization signed by one of the parents or the legal guardian if the request for passport is made by a minor (ibid.; ibid. 2005).
In cases where a document is missing, the Embassy website recommends that applicants contact the consular section (ibid. n.d.). The Assistant Coordinator stated that applicants cannot obtain passports if they do not have a birth certificate, which can be obtained through the National Archives in Port-au-Prince (ibid. 20 Dec. 2007).
Proof of citizenship is required since Haiti does not recognize dual citizenship (ibid. 2005; ibid. n.d.).
Processing time
The Assistant Coordinator from the consular section of the Embassy of Haiti in Washington, DC stated that it currently takes eight days to process a regular passport (ibid. 19 Dec. 2007). For urgent requests, the processing time can be one working day (ibid.). The applicant has to be at the embassy or consulate before noon and the passport can be obtained in two hours (ibid.) for a fee of 103 US dollars payable by money order only (ibid.). The fee for a regular passport is 73 US dollars (ibid. 2005; ibid. 19 Dec. 2007).
The websites of the Consulate in New York and of the Embassy in Washington, DC provide different information regarding processing time: the Embassy's website indicates that the processing time for a regular passport request is twenty-one working days, but also indicates that it is one working day for an emergency request (Haiti n.d.), whereas the Consulate's website states that 22 to 30 days are needed for a regular request and 8 working days for an emergency request (ibid. 2005).
ID card number
The Assistant Coordinator indicated that the number of Fiscal Identity Card appears in the passport (Haiti 19 Dec. 2007). She added that this card can be obtained only in Haiti and that for a passport renewal, the fiscal number appearing in the previous passport will appear in the new one (ibid.). If an applicant did not previously hold a passport, or does not have this card, a new number is assigned by the passport unit of the embassy, using their computer system (ibid. 20 Dec. 2007).
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.
References
Haïti. 19 and 20 December 2007. Embassy in Washington, DC. Telephone conversation with the Assistant Coordinator of the consular section.
_____. 2005. Consulat général de la République d'Haïti à New York. "To Obtain a Haitian Passport."
_____. N.d. Embassy in Washington, DC. "Information for Obtaining a Passport."
