Request for Approval to Travel to a Restricted Country or Area

The Secretary of State may exercise authority, under 22 U.S.C. 211a, Executive Order 11295 (August 5, 1966), and 22 C.F.R. 51.63, to invalidate all U.S. passports for travel to a country or area if he determines that any of three conditions exist: the country is at war with the United States; armed hostilities are in progress in the country or area; or there is imminent danger to the public health or physical safety of U.S. travelers in the country or area. The regulations of the Department of State provide that an individual’s passport may be considered for validation for travel to, in, or through a country or area despite such restriction if the individual’s travel is determined to fall within one of several categories established by the regulations. 22 C.F.R. 51.64. Without the requisite validation, use of a U.S. passport for travel to, in, or through a restricted country or area may justify revocation of the passport for misuse under 22 C.F.R. 51.62(a)(2) and subject the traveler to felony prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 1544 for misuse of a passport or other applicable laws. The categories of persons specified in 22 C.F.R. 51.64(b) as being eligible for consideration for passport validation are as follows: (a) An applicant who is a professional reporter and journalist whose trip is for the purpose of collecting and making available to the public information about the restricted country or area; (b) An applicant who is a representative of the American Red Cross or the International Committee of the Red Cross on official mission to the restricted country or area; (c) An applicant whose trip to the restricted country or area is justified by compelling humanitarian considerations; or (d) An applicant whose trip to the restricted country or area is otherwise in the national interest. The proposed information collection solicits data necessary for the Passport Services Directorate to determine whether an applicant is eligible to receive a special validation in his or her U.S. passport book permitting the applicant to make one round-trip to a restricted country or area.

The latest form for Request for Approval to Travel to a Restricted Country or Area expires 2021-03-31 and can be found here.