When troops serve abroad, do they require passports?

mustangsally76

Yes, we ALlLhave passports and must use them to go through any foriegn country. If it is for a deployment, to the middle east, they do not go through customs. If it is a family move, yes they do go through customs. My husband has a TDY's in the UK, Garmany, and Italy and has had to go through customs.

MP US Army

It depends on the SOFA (Status Of Forces Agreement)

We have treaty's with many countries deciding what military and family members need over seas. They are not all the same but for many countries you do not need a passport just a military ID Card and orders.

RelayLover

No. My husband was in the Marines for 4 years and traveled extensively. He was never required to have a passport. Your military ID is sufficient. You are processed by the military not by immigration.

RED WHITE AND BLUE

no passport required, military exempt,, now if you are in a country where there is no war,,, and you travel throught the country on your own time ,,, of course your commander will know where you are at,,,, because you are required to tell him...
the american emb.. wants to know where you are at.

but when you travel ,,, walk softly and carry a battilon of tanks

The_Cricket: RIP Allecat

No, not if it's for the military. My husband and I currently reside in Germany, and he still doesn't have his passport. I have one, but he doesn't.
We landed at Frankfurt am Main International Airport. All he had to do was show his ID and orders. I had to show my ID and passport.

If it's just regular travel, then yes, a soldier does need a passport.

Roadrunner58-79

NO!!! US Military personnel are not required to have a passport.
Military dependents are required to have a passport.

confused

It depends on what your job is with the military. Navy Intelligence Specialist have to have a passport. They tend to fly to different countries like a "regular" person. So the other country doesn't know they are in the US Military. For certain jobs in the military they don't want broadcast the fact that they are in the military. In some cases they fly so far on a "regular" plane and then fly to their mission on a military plane. It's always safe to be prepared and have one, rather than get stuck some place without one.

brian L

When I was shipped over seas I was issued a govt passport as my duty station was in Bahrain in the Persian gulf so we were not supposed to travel in uniform. This requires a passport.

roundater

depends on the country they are serving in and if the military wants them to have a passport for when they are off base and off duty. check with the embassy or consulate of the country in question or this link on official passports:

Diplomatic, Official, and Regular No-Fee Passports

The Special Issuance Agency, located in Washington, D.C., issues no-fee passports to citizens traveling abroad for the U.S. Government, their dependents (if permitted to accompany them), and certain others who are exempt by law from payment of the passport fee. The type of no-fee passport issued (diplomatic, official, or regular no-fee) depends upon the purpose of travel. The Special Issuance Agency will determine which type is to be issued based upon the purpose of travel.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do I use my no-fee passport?
May I hold both a No-Fee and Regular Fee Tourist Passport?
Can my dependents be included on my no-fee passport?
Where will my no-fee passport be delivered?
Why do I have to pay the $30.00 execution fee when I apply at a passport acceptance facility?
Where do I apply for a no-fee passport?
When Do I Use My No-Fee Passport?
You may use your no-fee passport ONLY when going overseas in discharge of your official duties. You must not use the no-fee passport when you leave the U.S. for personal travel. For personal travel, you need to use a regular fee (tourist/business) passport.

May I Hold Both a No-Fee and Regular Fee Tourist Passport?
You may have both a valid regular fee passport and a valid no-fee tourist passport at the same time. You may want to take both types of passports with you, especially if you plan to take personal travel while overseas. Please be sure that you have the appropriate visas in both your no-fee and tourist passports prior to your departure.

Can My Dependents Be Included On My No-Fee Passport?
No. If your dependents have been authorized to accompany you on your assignment, each one must obtain his or her own individual no-fee passport.

Where Will My No-Fee Passport Be Delivered?
Passport Services generally does not mail no-fee passports directly to the bearer. Instead, they are sent to, or picked up by the organization, government agency, or branch of service sponsoring the passport issuance. Please be sure to fill in the address of the sponsoring facility in the â€œMailing Addressâ€ block of the application.

Why Do I Have to Pay the $30.00 Execution Fee When I Apply at a Passport Acceptance Facility?
The execution fee is the cost to have your signature witnessed by an authorized passport acceptance agent when you apply in person for your no-fee passport. You are not required to pay the passport fee for a no-fee passport, but if you are executing the application at a passport acceptance facility, they reserve the right to charge you the $30.00 passport execution fee.

Where do I apply for a No-Fee Passport?
The United States Government only issues these types of passports to individuals traveling abroad in connection with official employment. No fees are charged for the issuance of these passports. The type of passport issued is dependent on the purpose of travel or the Government Agency sponsoring the travel. Applicants for these types of passports should contact their respective travel offices for instructions on how to process these applications.

Military applicants should contact their installation travel office.
Federal Government Agency personnel should contact their Agency headquarters travel office.
Peace Corps should contact their travel office.
Department of State personnel should contact their Bureau Executive Office or Personnel Technician.

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tom l

The only problem with not having a passport when serving abroad is you are stuck, you cannot cross any international border unless under military orders to do so.

smokefreemom35

they can travel anywhere without a passport with their military ID but some (alot ) choose to use thier passports due to retaliation for other countries...

paki

it all depends on the location, when my ship would go overseas it was mandatory that everyone had to have a passpost just in case they had to leave and go back to states, orders would not do alone. then if we visited other countries while in port, passport was needed to enter the country wanting to visit

hardly_d

nope they don't..they travel and live in US areas..nope they dont go thru customs

sherichance79

my hubby is active duty and goes overseas alot..before they left the US, they were REQUIRED to get passports otherwise they couldnt go, then they would be in really big trouble...

Yes, they have passports. And if they travel via commercial vehicles, they are processed the same as anyone else. If they travel via military means, they are processed by our military in accordance with treaties with the affected countries. For hostile countries (e.g. Iraq) they are only process by our military.

mikem33607

sure, and no carry-on swiss army knives either!

Meow the cat

My M-16A2 is my passport.

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