Embassy of the United States

Visas in Expired Passports 

U.S. visas in expired passports are valid, provided you carry both the expired passport and a valid passport of the same nationality. Note: If, when canceling an old passport, an immigration official damages the U.S. visa in any way (e.g. clips the corners), that visa is no longer valid and cannot be used for travel to the United States. 

Mutilated Visas 

If your visa was mutilated, you need to apply for a new visa. Please note that applicants must qualify for a visa each and every time they apply, regardless of whether they have previously possessed a valid visa.  

Lost/Stolen Visas 

If your passport with a U.S. visa inside is lost or stolen, the incident should be reported to the U.S. Embassy as soon as possible. Here is what you should do: 

1. If you do not intend to apply for a visa, but only need to report the loss or theft of your passport that contained a U.S. visa, you should: 

• Start by contacting your local police station and obtaining a police report
• Download the report form and complete one form per person a PDF version of the lost/stolen form (PDF 39K)
• Bring both the police report and the form to the U.S. Embassy with at least one form of government ID to report your visa lost or stolen. Only in-person reports will be accepted. You can come to the Embassy on any Friday between 10:00 and 10:30. Please note that the Embassy is closed on American and local holidays

2. If you plan to reapply for a new visa, you must follow the standard procedure of applying for a visa. You may choose to report the loss or theft of your previous visa at the time of this interview rather than following the procedure above. For further information on how to apply for a visa, please click here.