The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyz Republic would like to bring to the attention of U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Kyrgyz Republic the following informational message regarding the elimination of the consular service of supplemental visa page inserts in U.S. passports:
Effective January 1, 2016, the Department will eliminate the consular service of supplemental 24-page Visa Page Inserts (VPIs) for passports. Requests for VPIs on Form DS-4085 will only be accepted for current (legacy) passports until December 31, 2015.
The determination to eliminate VPIs was made after considering document utility, cost effectiveness, customer service, internal controls, security, international practice, and operational factors. While the Department understands frequent travelers may be inconvenienced by this change, we are phasing out VPIs because they pose vulnerabilities to the physical security of the passport and to the issuance process. When applying for a new passport, some customers may need to update residence permits or foreign entry/exit visas to comply with foreign country immigration practices. In some instances, issuing an emergency passport (EPDP) or second passport may be considered.
To mitigate the impact of this coming change, applicants at overseas posts routinely receive 52-page passports starting October 1, 2014. As of that date, posts no longer accept requests for the 28-page standard OPDP. The correct book type must be indicated on the Form DS-11, DS-82, or DS-5504 for overseas applicant book personalization.
If you have additional questions, please call the U.S. Embassy Bishkek Consular Section at (996) 312 59 7000 between the hours of 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday-Friday, or send an inquiry to ConsularBishkek@state.gov.
For further information:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Kyrgyzstan Country Specific Information.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Contact the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan, located at 171 Prospect Mira, Bishkek 720016, at +(996) (312) 59 7000, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +(996) (312) 59 7000.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
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