Simple question please help

[curiousman01 0]

Happy New Year everyone! I have a very simple question. I am completing the form DS-11 to apply for a US passport for the first time (applying from the US). There is a question on the second page asking to provide an emergency contact. Can I leave it blank? If omitting this question is not an option, does it have to be someone in the US, or can I give my mother's name and address in Europe? I can't find the answer to this question. Can someone help me please? The problem is that I don't have any family or friends in the US, so there is no one here who could be my emergency contact. The form layout suggests that it has to be a person in the US - there is no space to input a foreign country in the address field (the form states City and State, which only applies to the US, obviously). If I put my mother's address in Europe, can my passport application be denied? Thank you! Andy

[Harsh_77 718]

Your passport application would not be denied coz your emergency contact is not in US. You can try to accomodate the european address in the fields.

It is only used by authrorities when they need to contact somone on your behalf.

My 2 cents having something in there rather then nothing would be more adviceable.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Fill in something.

How about your neighbor or a buddy from work?

[curiousman01 0]

Thank you guys! I am currently unemployed, so putting my co-worker's name on the form is out of question. Neighbors? I don't really know them so well to ask for a favor like this. I can't imagine knocking their door and asking would you mind me putting your name and address as my emergency contact on the government form LOL :-) Basically, putting my mum's name and European address on the form is my only option. I just want to make sure it won't cause any problems, because the form is designed to obtain an emergency contact in the US. Not sure why they make things so complicated/confusing. I am sure I am not the only one who doesn't have any contacts in the US. I tried to find the answer to this question on the official DoS website, but it's not very helpful. I don't want to be in a situation where my passport application is delayed or refused if I put my mum's details abroad. Has anyone been in a similar situation? Andy

[nwctzn 55]

Thank you guys! I am currently unemployed, so putting my co-worker's name on the form is out of question. Neighbors? I don't really know them so well to ask for a favor like this. I can't imagine knocking their door and asking would you mind me putting your name and address as my emergency contact on the government form LOL :-) Basically, putting my mum's name and European address on the form is my only option. I just want to make sure it won't cause any problems, because the form is designed to obtain an emergency contact in the US. Not sure why they make things so complicated/confusing. I am sure I am not the only one who doesn't have any contacts in the US. I tried to find the answer to this question on the official DoS website, but it's not very helpful. I don't want to be in a situation where my passport application is delayed or refused if I put my mum's details abroad. Has anyone been in a similar situation? Andy

Well, don't you have ANY friends at all in the US? I think you really have a rare situation and it makes absolutely sense to have a contact in the US who knows you. Remember, they are asking this if you run into any problems while away from the US so that they have a reference person for you in the US. So if you really have no friends and no contacts at all in the US, I would really suggest to knock on your neighbor's door and ask them if they can be a contact person.

[curiousman01 0]

I would really suggest to knock on your neighbor's door and ask them if they can be a contact person.

Although it's an unlikely case scenario, but hypothetically speaking, what if my neighbor turns out to be a convicted felon on the government "watch list", and next time I cross the border, the airport officials stop me for questioning to find out how exactly I am affiliated with my "emergency contact"? I guess my point is why would you link yourself to someone you don't really know?

Remember, they are asking this if you run into any problems while away from the US so that they have a reference person for you in the US.

Why does it have to be a person in the US? I refuse to believe that the US government can't afford a 60-second international phone call in case of a serious emergency involving a US Citizen, not to mention that it would be OK to give a foreign address on the form if I was applying for a US passport through an American Consulate abroad.

My question is simple. Are there special provisions in DoS rules allowing a US citizen to give a foreign relative's address on DS-11 form when applying for a passport from inside the US for the first time? Has anyone come across any relevant information online or been in the same situation before? Thank you guys! Andy

Edited January 4, 2012 by curiousman01

[nwctzn 55]

You should be fine and can put an emergency contact who is overseas. Here is what I have found on the FAQ on the DoS website:

Q:Does my ‘Emergency Contact’ have to be somebody in the U.S.?

We need this information in the event we have to reach someone in a hurry on your behalf. It doesn’t have to be somebody in the U.S., especially if you live permanently outside the U.S. If that is the case, put down local addresses and phones. If you are outside the U.S. temporarily, it might make more sense to have a U.S. based contact for us to reach on your behalf.

Edited January 4, 2012 by nwctzn

[nwctzn 55]

Regarding how you put in the foreign country on the form, I think you could squeeze in both the city and country name into the city field.

[curiousman01 0]

Dear nwctzn, thank you so much for your input! I have seen this information on the DOS website, however, what concerns me is that this FAQ is provided under "Applying for a U.S. Passport from Outside the United States"

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/outside/outside_5462.html

I guess it doesn't really matter as the requirements/rules are the same for everyone, but I wasn't sure. I would be surprised if they refused my passport application if I put my mum's address overseas, so I think I should try and see what happens. Thank you. Andy.

[NickD 203]

Andy, you have to be either a natural born or a naturalized US citizen to be able to apply for a US passport. Which are you? If the latter, how did you come here? Either a work visa, or someone petitioned for you, or may have won the lottery. Sure you have an interesting story.

Now you have me wondering about my own family, wife and stepdaughter, when they first came here, I was their only connection with the USA, in particular my stepdaughter, a young girl separated from all of her friends and in a strange country. But eight years went by already, she has hundreds of friends, and this is her country now. Even found a nice young man, I really like him, lives a distant away, and said, sure he is welcomed to spend some time in my home.

Wife became very strong with my family and she is grandma to our grandchildren, a very close relationship, but could still wonder what would happen to them if anything happened to me.

You state you don't even have a job, how do you live? You say you have a mother living in Europe, what is your motivation for staying here? Stepdaughter just came back from Europe, telling me about the cheap public transportation, she went all over the place with hundreds of beautiful photos, ha, tempted to go there myself. But guess she wants to stay here, is applying for an internship and looks like she is going to get it.

In your case, not a single soul here that you can even call a friend? Has me wondering. Wife worked for the same hospital for seven years now, has hundreds of friends.