Venezuelan Passports Automatically Extended for Five Years Beyond Expiration Date

On June 7, 2019, the National Assembly of Venezuela published a decree automatically extending the validity of Venezuelan passports for an additional five years from their printed date of expiration. While DOS has recognized this extension of passport validity for visa issuance and other consular purposes, CBP has not made a public formal announcement. The following steps should be taken by Venezuelan nationals impacted by this extension:

• If you have an expired Venezuelan passport and are planning to leave the U.S. and return, check with the CBP office at the airport (at deferred inspection) where you are entering the U.S. (port of entry) to confirm that the port of entry is aware of this policy, because there has been no formal, public announcement by CBP.
• Print off and travel with a copy of the State Department Media Note, which states that “Customs and Border Protection will likewise recognize the passports covered by this decree.”
• The automatic extension of Venezuelan passports has been recognized by numerous other countries, including Canada, Spain, and several Latin American countries. Before leaving the U.S. for another country, confirm that any third country to which you will be travelling recognizes the expired passport.