Traveling for the U.S. Government

• An individual working for the U.S. government, whose work requires she travel abroad, qualify for non-fee passports. This includes members of the military and Peace Corps as well as employees of the Department of State and any federal government agency. Dependents who have been approved to travel abroad along with the individual are also eligible for non-fee passports. The non-fee passport is not intended to be used for personal travel.
  
  

Honoring Fallen Soldiers

• Family members of deceased members of the military may be issued non-fee passports to attend funeral or other memorial services. The deceased may also be buried abroad or be remembered at one of the overseas Tablets of the Missing memorials, and if family members wish to travel to these sites non-fee passports may be issued.
  
  The Department of State's website lists widows/widowers and children as family members, as well as parents, grandparents and siblings. A letter from the American Battle Monuments Commission detailing the applicant's relationship to the deceased military personnel and the destination country must be included when applying for a non-fee passport. These passports are valid for five years and are normally mailed directly to the applicant.
  
  

Additional Exemptions

• Individuals who fall outside the above categories may also be exempt from the passport fee for humanitarian or legal reasons. There are no stated requirements for this type of exemption, and the decision is left up to the discretion of the appropriate officials.
  
  

How to Apply

• Peace Corps members and employees of federal government agencies should apply by contacting the travel representative for their respective organizations. Military personnel should contact their installation travel offices, and Department of State employees should contact either their Bureau Executive Office or Personnel Technician. Passports applied for in this manner are normally sent to the individual's respective organization and not the individual. All other individuals applying for non-fee passports do so by contacting their senator's office.
  
  

Important Notes

• The non-fee passport is not valid for personal travel; it is to be used only when traveling abroad to do work on behalf of the U.S. government. Individuals can simultaneously have a personal and non-fee passport, and should use the former when traveling for personal reasons.
  
  Even if a passport fee is waived, the individual may still be required to pay a $25 processing fee if he applies for a passport at a standard passport facility.