Applying for First-time Passport (Adults)

FEE: 145 USD*

Application Procedure:

  • Passport services are provided by appointment only. Please use our online system to schedule an appointment.

Required Documents

  •  DS-11 ; (unsigned)
  • Proof of U.S. citizenship (previous U.S. passport, U.S. birth certificate, U.S. Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), U.S. naturalization certificate or U.S. certificate of citizenship);
  • Proof of Identity (previous U.S. passport, U.S. driver’s license, U.S. naturalization certificate, U.S. certificate of citizenship, or another government-issued document that includes your photograph;
  • One photo: 5×5 cm (2×2 inches), on a plain white background, taken in the last 6 months; Please do not staple the photo to your application;
  • DS-64 (for lost or stolen passports).

All non-emergency American citizen services are provided by appointment only.  Please use our online system to schedule an appointment. All passport applications require an in-person appointment at U.S. Embassy Kigali.

Please bring the following to your appointment:

  • Completed, but unsigned DS-11: Application for Passport (First-time);
  • Proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a previous U.S. passport, original or certified true copy of your U.S. birth certificate, U.S. Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), U.S. naturalization certificate or U.S. certificate of citizenship.
  • Proof of identity, such as a previous U.S. passport, U.S. driver’s license, U.S. naturalization certificate, U.S. certificate of citizenship,  or another government-issued document that includes your photograph;
  • One passport-sized photo, 5X5 cm (2X2 inches), on a plain white background, taken in the last 6 months; Please do not staple the photo to your application;
  • Payment in the amount of $145.  We accept U.S. dollars printed during or after 2009, Rwandan francs, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners, and debit cards bearing the Visa or MasterCard logo).

Normally, it takes approximately ten business days for the Consular Section to receive your passport at U.S. Embassy Kigali. Upon receipt, you will be contacted by email to inform you that your passport is ready to be picked up. If it has been more than one month since you submitted your application or if you have an urgent need to travel, please contact us via email at ACSKigali@state.gov. 

We issue emergency passports only in emergency cases.  Such passports are limited in validity and cannot be extended.  Bearers are required to exchange their limited validity passports for full-validity passports upon completion of their emergency travel, either through passport facilities in the United States or at U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad.  As a reminder, inconveniences such as airline change fees do not constitute real emergencies.  All services provided after business hours incur a fee of $231 per hour.

To apply for an emergency passport, please collect the information indicated above and make an appointment to come to the Embassy. If you are unable to make an appointment using our online system, please contact us via email at ACSKigali@state.gov. If you need emergency assistance, please see our Emergency Contact page.