NIH Employees Passports and Visas

Page last reviewed: June 7, 2019

The Fogarty International Center (FIC) at NIH processes applications only for official and diplomatic passports and visas for NIH employees. Fogarty does not process applications for personal or tourist passports, or obtain passports or visas for travelers from other U.S. government agencies. If you are with another agency, please check with your travel department.

Foreign Scientists coming to NIH should contact Division of International Services/Office of Research Services for U.S. visa information.

Passports | Visas | Travel Specialist Contact Info

Passports

HHS employees on official international travel are required to use their official (or diplomatic) U.S. government passports unless the Department of State advises otherwise. Individuals who are not eligible for official passports (e.g., fellows, such as IRTAs or CRTAs, and employees who are not U.S. citizens) are permitted to travel on official business with personal passports.

HHS requires all government travelers to have an official passport. For further information, review "Section 6.2.4.1 - Passports" of the HHS Travel Policy Manual from the HHS Program Support Center. Official passports are for official use only and may not be used for personal travel.

Exception: Travelers to Taiwan on official business must use their personal passport. No official or diplomatic passports are permitted.

Passport validity

Although requirements vary by country, passports generally must be valid at least 3 to 6 months beyond the intended stay. Passports with less than 6 months validity remaining should be renewed prior to travel.

Apply for an official passport

To apply for an official passport, the traveler must be a:

1. U.S. citizen, and a
2. U.S. federal government employee.

Important: You must submit an Information Sheet (see detailed instructions below) along with any form you provide FIC.

Requests for official passports should be submitted 8 weeks before your departure date. If your request is not received in time to obtain the passport you will need to obtain the official passport directly from the Special Issuance Agency of the Department of State. You will still need to obtain an authorization letter from the FIC passport agent. To obtain the authorization letter, please complete the Information Sheet [PDF 35K] and bring it to Building 31, Room B2C05.

To apply for an official passport, there must be a trip planned. Please note the tentative or definite destination on the Information Sheet.

All completed documents must be forwarded to FIC. Processing takes 4 to 6 weeks.

Application DS-82 for official passport or renewing official passport

Use the DS-82 form to apply by submitting your personal passport; it will be returned to FIC with the new official passport.
NOTE: Use the instruction sheet given on this site, NOT the instructions on the State Department website! Only print pages 5 and 6 of the application:

• Information Sheet [PDF 35K]
• NIH Instructions DS-82
• Download DS-0082 "U.S. Passport Renewal Application for Eligible Individuals" from the State Department's Official Passport Forms

Application DS-11 for official passport when failing to submit personal passport

If you do not hold a U.S. personal passport or do not wish to submit it for processing, the DS-11 form must be completed. The form should not be signed until you meet with a passport agent at FIC. Along with the DS-11 form, you must submit your birth certificate or naturalization certificate; it will be returned to FIC with the new official passport.
NOTE: Use the instruction sheet given on this site, NOT the instructions on the State Department website! Only print page 5 and 6 of the application:

• Information Sheet [PDF 35K]
• NIH Instructions DS-11
• Download DS-0011 "Application for a U.S. Passport" from the State Department's Official Passport Forms

Additional Visa Pages

As of January 2016, State Department is no longer adding extra visa pages to U.S. passports. NIH travelers who have run out of visa pages in their official passport will need to apply for a new passport using the DS 82 form.

DS-64: Statement regarding lost or stolen passport

This form should be submitted with the DS-11 application and its requirements if the official passport is lost or stolen.
NOTE: Use the instructions given on this site, NOT the instructions on the State Department website! Only print page 1 of the application:

• Information Sheet [PDF 35K]
• Download DS-0064 "Statement Regarding a Lost or Stolen Passport" from the State Department's Official Passport Forms

Additional Information

Passport Photos

You can get passport photos from the NIH Medical Arts Branch in Building 10, Room B2L328. The telephone number is 301-496-9993. The schedule is Tuesday from 9 am - 11 am and Thursday from 3 pm - 4 pm. No appointment is necessary. Take your IC CAN numbers with you; see your Administrative Officer.

As of November 2016, eye glasses may not be worn in passport photos. If you cannot remove your glasses for medical reasons, you’ll need to obtain and submit a signed statement from a medical professional or practitioner with your passport application.

Immunizations, Medications and Preventative Measures

Please contact the NIH Occupational Medical Service (OMS) 30 days in advance about Yellow Fever Cards or shots at 301-496-4411. They are located in Building 10, 6th Floor. Their hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 7:30 am - 5 pm. Please see their website for further information and travel immunization request form.

Visas

A visa is an endorsement or stamp issued by an official in the Consular Section of a foreign embassy. The visa, placed into the passport, allows the bearer to enter that foreign country. Visas are valid for a specified time period, number of entries and duration of stay.

The duration of the visa's validity will be noted on the visa itself. Depending on the embassy, the visa may only be valid for a very limited number of days, such as the days of visit the traveler specifies on the visa application. The majority of visas are valid for 30 days, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years from date of issue. Some visas also indicate how long the traveler can stay in the country. Permission to stay in the country is generally granted for 30 to 90 days per visit.

Some visas are issued with the date that traveler is scheduled to enter the country. Take special care when changing travel dates after submitting a visa application to FIC - make sure to notify your FIC International Travel Program Specialist immediately of the change.

Three kinds of visa entries are granted:

• Single-Entry Visa is only valid for one use, and only for a certain period of time, then it will expire.
• Double-Entry Visa can be used to enter the same country twice for a certain period of time, then it will expire.
• Multi-Entry Visa can be used for multiple entries into the same country before expiration date. Multi-entry visas can be requested from some Embassies, but it is at their discretion to grant one.

When a visa expires or was only valid for a single entry, it cannot be renewed or extended. A new application must be submitted.

Which countries require a visa for travel on an official passport?

Consult the chart of visa and training requirements by country or territory to determine if a visa is needed. This information applies ONLY to U.S. official/diplomatic passports. It does NOT apply to U.S. personal passports or to passports issued by other countries. When in doubt, contact your FIC International Travel Program Specialist.

You are responsible for applying for the visa of the country where you are planning to conduct NIH business.

Visa application and requirements

Visa applications and requirements must be submitted to FIC at least 4 weeks before travel takes place, or 8 weeks in advance if a new official passport is needed. Email your FIC International Travel Program Specialist to request visa application forms and requirements at least 6 weeks prior to travel unless otherwise noted in the official passport visa chart. Take into account any transit or overnight stay as a visa may also be required. Depending on the country, the passport must be valid at least 3 to 6 months beyond the extended stay. Passports with less than 6 months validity remaining must be renewed before a visa is processed. (This is also the case if a visa is not required for entry.)

It is important to submit the visa paperwork at least 8 weeks before travel, particularly if obtaining an official or diplomatic passport at the same time. This is especially important around the holiday season since Embassies close for U.S. holidays and for their own national and religious holidays.

If multiple official trips are scheduled within a short time frame (e.g., back to back official travel with less than 3 weeks in between), or personal travel is scheduled immediately prior to or after the official trip, please indicate this at the time of submission to have everything completed and returned in a timely manner.

Countries requiring special invitation letters

Certain countries require special invitation letters in support of the visa application. For example, for travel to Russia, Vietnam, China, and Belarus, start the process of obtaining information from FIC 60 to 90 days prior to departure. Special invitation letters are required from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in these countries; it takes about 21 days for the sponsor or host of the country to obtain such a letter for the government traveler. For further details, contact your FIC International Travel Program Specialist.

Visa fees charged by embassies

For China visas, travelers using the official/diplomatic passport must pay the visa fee at the time the application is submitted to FIC. Currently, this is the only embassy that charges official and diplomatic passport holders. For travelers using their personal passport, a visa fee will be charged by the Consular Section of the embassy for which the visa is being obtained. Fees vary depending on the traveler's country of nationality, duration of visa requested, etc.

For travelers using personal passports, a visa fee will be charged by the Consular Section of the embassy for which the visa is obtained. Fees vary depending on the traveler's country of nationality, duration of visa requested, etc.

All travelers paying for a visa will receive a receipt to request reimbursement on their travel voucher. IC CAN numbers or IC/LAB Purchase Cards cannot be accepted for payment.

Travelers not eligible for an official/diplomatic passport

In some situations, Fellows (IRTAs, CRTAs, Visiting Fellows), non-U.S. citizen employees and contractors can be assisted in obtaining a visa for official travel with personal passports. However, many embassies require non-U.S. citizens to submit the application in person, and an appointment may be necessary. Contact your FIC International Travel Program Specialist for more information and visa requirements.

Personal travel

The personal passport must be used to enter a country solely for annual leave in conjunction with an official trip. The FIC Passport Office cannot assist in obtaining visas or tourist U.S. passports for personal travel.

Additional Resources

• Foreign currency and currency exchange rates, including currency converters
  from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
• Foreign per diem rates
  from the U.S. Department of State
• International travel and health
  from the World Health Organization
• World Factbook
  from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
• Travel.State.gov, including travel warnings and consular information sheets
  from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs
• CDC Health Information for International Travel (Yellow Book), the trusted travel medicine reference for health professionals and travelers
• Traveler's Health information
  from the National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus

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Page last reviewed: June 7, 2019