Travel

Travel Information on Puerto Rico

Contrary to a number of inaccurate press reports, there is no passport requirement for U.S. citizens for direct travel between the mainland United States and U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These reports stem from a July 16, 2012, article that misquoted a State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs official.

The Department of State s Bureau of Consular Affairs looks forward to opening the San Juan Passport Agency in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 2013 to better serve U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico.

The San Juan Passport Agency will issue U.S. passport books onsite to qualifying U.S. citizens who plan to travel outside the United States or its territories within 14 days or have a life or death emergency. Customers will no longer need to travel more than 1,000 miles to the Miami Passport Agency to receive these services.

For more information about U.S. passports, please visit travel.state.gov. The website also contains complete information about what is needed to apply for a passport, as well as the application fees, processing times and non-Department acceptance facility locations and hours of operations.