Venezuela is the hardest case in this directory. Its embassy and consulates in the United States stopped providing services in 2019, and for years the practical answer for a Venezuelan needing a passport here was to travel to another country. Reports during 2026 have pointed to a gradual restoration, but availability has kept changing.
Quick facts
Two different procedures exist and they are not interchangeable. An extension prolongs the validity of the book you already hold, without issuing a new one. A new passport means a new book and a much longer wait.
The practical position
| Route | What it involves | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SAIME portal | Account, application and payment online | The only official channel |
| Appointment abroad | Travelling to a country with an operating post | Mexico and Canada have been the usual choices |
| Through family in Venezuela | Collection by a relative | Requires an apostilled power of attorney |
| Extension | Endorsement on the existing book | Faster than a new passport |
| Private agencies | Offer to speed things up | Not official; payments are frequently lost |
Everything official goes through the SAIME portal. Sites offering to accelerate a file for extra money are not part of the system, and the warning against them is worth taking seriously here more than anywhere else.
How it works
- Create an account on the official SAIME portal, or sign in to the one you have.
- Choose between an extension and a new passport, which have different requirements and timetables.
- Select the consular office where you will complete the procedure, which may be outside the United States.
- Pay through the portal and keep every receipt and reference.
- Attend in person for the biometric stage, bearing all travel costs yourself.
- Arrange collection, either personally or through a relative holding an apostilled power of attorney.
Required documents
- Venezuelan identity card, current or expired.
- Current or most recent passport.
- SAIME account with the application and payment references.
- Proof of address where the chosen post requires it.
- Apostilled power of attorney where a relative will collect the document.
- Entry permission for the country where the appointment takes place, if you need one.
Where to apply
Through the SAIME portal. Whether a post in the United States can complete the biometric stage has changed repeatedly, so confirm before making any travel arrangements.
Additional notes
An expired passport may still be valid for U.S. purposes
This is the single most useful thing to know, and it is covered on the citizenship page below. U.S. authorities have recognised certain expired Venezuelan passports as valid, which has kept many people’s immigration files moving.
Keep copies of everything
A digital and a printed copy of the passport and identity card make it far easier to reopen accounts, travel internally and restart any procedure if the original is lost.
Beware of intermediaries
Nowhere in this directory is the intermediary problem worse. The portal is the only channel, and no agency has privileged access to it.
Timetables are not promises
Waits have ranged from weeks to more than a year depending on the route and the post. Plan on the pessimistic end.