Yemen: Requirements and procedures for obtaining a passport, both inside and outside the country; instances when a person would not be issued a passport (2013-September 2014)

1. Requirements and Procedures to Obtain a Passport within Yemen

Information about the requirements and procedures to obtain a passport inside Yemen was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, a representative of the Yemen Mission in New York said that passports in Yemen are issued by the Immigration Department (Yemen 2 Sept. 2014). According to the representative, applicants are required to submit their Yemeni ID, birth certificate, application form and photos (ibid.). She further indicated that applicants must either apply for the passport in person or authorize someone to get the passport on his or her behalf (ibid.). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

The representative was unsure how quickly passport applications are processed when someone applies within Yemen, but said that the process is faster than from abroad (ibid.).

Information about whether issuing procedures are standard throughout Yemen could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2. Requirements and Procedures to Obtain a Passport from Abroad

The Yemen Mission in New York is responsible for handling passport applications from within Canada and the US (ibid.). The Yemen Mission representative said that applicants are not required to go to the Mission in New York and can submit the passport application and required documents by mail (ibid.). She explained that the Mission handles passport renewals, and that the applicant is required to submit an application form, photos and the original passport (ibid.). She indicated that there is a fee of US $104 for the passport (ibid. 10 Sept. 2014). Instructions for renewing passports are posted on the website of the Embassy of Yemen in Washington, DC (Yemen n.d.a), which the representative at the New York Mission said are accurate, except that the fees are higher than listed and applications are now sent to the New York Mission (Yemen 10 Sept. 2014). The directions state the following for renewing passports:

Download the application and read the following:

Fill in your first name, father's name, grandfather's name and Last name where it is required in both English and Arabic. Do not leave any blanks.

Fill in your birth date in the following order (Day/Month/Year) for example (19/12/1981).

If you want to correct or change your birth date, you must submit your original birth certificate or an exact colored photocopy of it.

You MUST fill in your mother's name, her father's name and her last name where it is required.

Fill in your address outside of the Republic of Yemen (In America or Canada) with a valid phone number.

Fill in your address in the Republic of Yemen including a phone number.

It is very important to include the finger print of your left thumb where it is required. Sign in the space provided next to it.

You have to send your original old passport with the application. NOTE: Once the new passport is ready, the old passport will be canceled and returned with the new passport to the sender

Include an $82 fee for a new passport through Money Orders ONLY (we do not accept personal checks or cash).

If you are a student then your fee would be $27 also through money order. A colored copy of the student ID must be provided or the schedule of classes.

You must attach THREE recent colored passport size photos with a white background;

a. sunglasses or glasses are not allowed

b. Hats are not allowed

If the job title changed, then you have to provide evidence of the new job.

IMPORTANT: If you are a Merchant then you have to provide the following:

c. Commerce record

d. Tax Return

e. Number of Employees

Include the Yemeni Identification card or a copy of an American Green Card if valid. [emphasis in original] (Yemen n.d.a.)

Directions for renewing passports are also found on the website of the Embassy of Yemen in Italy, which states:

Submit the original old passport and, if present, a copy of the Yemeni Identification card.

NOTE: Once the new passport is ready, the old passport will be canceled and returned with the new passport to the sender

Fill in the application form, your first name, father's name, grandfather's name and last name where it is required in both English and Arabic. Do not leave any blanks. You can get the Application Form at the Consulate (2 €). You can also request our Consular Section to send you an Application form via ordinary mail. (Please contact directly the Consulate for additional info on costs and procedures).

Include 4 recent colored passport size photos with a white background.

It is very important to include the finger print of your left thumb where it is required. Sign in the space provided next to it. (Yemen n.d.b)

The Embassy of Yemen in Italy indicates that requests can be submitted by ordinary mail or courier, but have additional costs (ibid.).

Both the Embassy of Yemen in Italy and the embassy in Washington say that for applications for passports for children, the applicant must "[f]ill in the application as you would for an adult making sure that the child's name is equivalent to the name that appears on the child's birth certificate and the father's name according to the father's passport" and to include the father's passport and the child's birth certificate with the application (Yemen n.d.a; ibid. n.d.b). According to the representative at the Yemen Mission in New York, passport fees for children are US $50 (ibid. 10 Sept. 2014). She also indicated that the passports of both parents are required, as well as the child's original birth certificate (ibid. 2 Sept. 2014).

The Embassy of Yemen in Italy provides the following instructions for replacing lost or damaged passports:

Submit the original old passport and, if present, a copy of the Yemeni Identification card

NOTE: Once the new passport is ready, the old passport will be canceled and returned with the new passport to the sender

Fill in the application form, your first name, father's name, grandfather's name and last name where it is required in both English and Arabic. Do not leave any blanks. You can get the Application Form at the Consulate (2 €). You can also request our Consular Section to send you an Application form via ordinary mail. (Please contact directly the Consulate for additional info on costs and procedures).

Include 4 recent colored passport size photos with a white background.

It is very important to include the finger print of your left thumb where it is required. Sign in the space provided next to it.

Submit a report from the police about losing the passport (only for LOST passports). [emphasis in original] (ibid. n.d.b)

Similar instructions are found on the website of the Embassy of Yemen in Washington, which indicate:

You must fill out the application fully reading the instructions stated above for renewing a passport.

You must include a clear photocopy of the old passport.

Include a Yemeni Identification card or a colored photocopy of a Green Card if valid.

For a missing or lost passport, you must include a police report and a copy of an advertisement run in a newspaper declaring that you lost your passport. (ibid. n.d.a)

The same source indicates that there are additional fees for replacing a lost or damaged passport in addition to the fees for obtaining a new passport (ibid.).

According to the representative of the Yemen Mission in New York, their office sends the passport application online to Yemen and authorities in Yemen authorize and prepare the passports (ibid. 2 Sept. 2014). Similarly, the instructions on the website of the Embassy of Yemen in Washington indicate that applications are sent to the Public Administration of Passports in Yemen and are not issued until the Administration in Yemen approves the request (ibid. n.d.a). According to the representative, it generally takes 3-5 weeks for passport applications to be processed from the Mission in New York (ibid. 2 Sept. 2014). Similarly, the instructions from the embassy in Washington state that the average time for completing a passport is 14 to 40 days (ibid. n.d.a). However, the same source indicates that applications to replace a missing passport take a minimum of 3 months (ibid.).

According to the representative, consulate officials check visa information at the mission and security checks are conducted on the applicants by authorities in Yemen (Yemen 2 Sept. 2014). While not certain of the exact security procedures, she expressed the opinion that the procedures are "generally more difficult" than in the past and that there is "a lot of verification involved before the passport is issued" (ibid.). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

Information about instances in which someone would not be issued a passport was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. The representative said that the authorities in Yemen generally do not give the reason for which a passport is refused (ibid.). She said that sometimes the authorities will ask for an original passport or an original document (ibid.). She also said that sometimes applications are "put on hold for unexplained reasons" (ibid.). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

A sample copy of a Yemeni passport is attached to this Response. The sample was found on the Electronic Document Information System on Network (EDISON TD), which an official at the National Document Centre of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) describes as "an advanced, fully computerized image and data storage retrieval system, owned by the Netherlands" with the purpose of "assist[ing] law enforcement agencies to check the authenticity of travel documents" (Canada 20 May 2014).

According to this database, the passports have a dark blue cover with gold printing, contain 48 pages, and are typically valid for 6 years (EDISON TD n.d.). Biographical information in the passport includes the following fields: Type; Country Code; Passport No.; Surname; Given Names; Profession; Place of Birth; Date of Birth; Sex; Date of Issue; Date of Expiry; and Issuing Authority (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.

References

Canada. 20 May 2014. Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Correspondence from an official of the National Document Centre to the Research Directorate.

Electronic Document Information System on Network (EDISON TD). N.d. "Yemen: National Passport." [Accessed 8 Sept. 2014]

Yemen. 10 September 2014. Republic of Yemen Mission in New York. Telephone interview of a representative by the Research Directorate.

_____. 2 September 2014. Republic of Yemen Mission in New York. Telephone interview of a representative by the Research Directorate.

_____. N.d.a. Embassy of Yemen in Washington, DC. "Passport Instructions." [Accessed 3 Sept. 2014]

_____. N.d.b. Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in Rome. "Passports." [Accessed 3 Sept. 2014]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: An official at the Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in Ottawa was unable to provide information.

Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; ecoi.net; Factiva; UN - Refworld, Reliefweb; US - Department of State; Yemen - Embassy of Yemen in London, Embassy of Yemen in Ottawa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior; Yemen Times.

Attachment

Electronic Document Information System on Network (EDISON TD). N.d. "Yemen: National Passport." [Accessed 8 Sept. 2014]