American Citizens Services Unit
Emergencies and Exceptions
Only in
true emergencies can the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo issue a passport
locally. Examples of such emergencies might include illness of the traveler and
need for medical treatment in the U.S., grave illness or death of a close family
member, or (for tourists only) imminent scheduled return travel to the
U.S. after a passport has been lost or stolen. (Note: The “imminent
scheduled return travel” exception does NOT apply to U.S. citizens residing in
the Dominican Republic.)
Because we
do not want
passports without digitized photographs or the other latest security features
to remain valid for an extended period of time, emergency passports issued at
the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo are limited in validity and may not be
extended. U.S. citizens receiving such passports must re-apply to have their
limited-validity passports replaced by the more technologically advanced
version. There is no additional cost for the replacement passport so long as you apply for it before the emergency passport expires. | 
