The most useful fact on this page has nothing to do with Venezuelan consulates. It is that U.S. authorities have recognised certain expired Venezuelan passports as valid, which has kept immigration files moving for hundreds of thousands of people who could not renew.
Quick facts
The recognition rests on a decree of the Venezuelan National Assembly of 21 May 2019, which U.S. authorities accepted. In broad terms, a passport issued before 7 June 2019 has been treated as valid for five years beyond its printed expiry, and where an extension was issued from that date, the passport counts as valid until the extension’s expiry.
How nationality works
| Situation | Position | Practical step |
|---|---|---|
| Venezuelan who naturalises in the U.S. | Keeps Venezuelan nationality | Nothing to file |
| Child born in the U.S. to a Venezuelan parent | Venezuelan by descent | Register in Venezuela by proxy |
| Passport expired and not renewable here | May still be recognised by U.S. authorities | Check the current rule for your case |
| Naturalised Venezuelan | Different regime | Take advice before renouncing anything |
Venezuelan nationality by birth is not lost by acquiring another. That has mattered enormously to a diaspora that has had to build lives elsewhere while unable to renew a single document.
What to do
- Check the exact date your passport was issued, because the recognition rules turn on 7 June 2019.
- Confirm the current U.S. position with an immigration lawyer rather than a summary online, since it has been extended and adjusted more than once.
- Keep digital and paper copies of the passport and identity card.
- For a child born here, arrange registration in Venezuela through an apostilled power of attorney.
- Start any SAIME procedure early, given the timetables.
Required documents
- Venezuelan passport, whatever its state.
- Venezuelan identity card.
- Birth certificate, apostilled where it will be used here.
- Any extension endorsement already in the passport.
- Evidence of the issue date, which the recognition rules depend on.
- Power of attorney, apostilled, for anything done in Venezuela on your behalf.
Where to go
For immigration questions here, to a qualified U.S. immigration lawyer. For Venezuelan documents, to the SAIME portal and to whoever acts for you in Venezuela.
Additional notes
Get the rule confirmed for your own case
The recognition of expired passports has been renewed and modified several times. Nothing in a directory should be relied on for an immigration filing; check it with someone qualified.
The identity card matters too
The Venezuelan identity card is the underlying identity document and is asked for in most procedures at home, including those done by proxy.
Children born here
They are U.S. citizens by birth and Venezuelan by descent. Registering the Venezuelan side can wait if it has to, but it becomes harder as time passes.
Keep every reference
Application numbers, payment receipts and appointment records are what allow a file to be reconstructed, and files have been lost.