PUBLICATION NO. 28

Beginning with October 1, 1929, all publications of the Department of State, laws and treaties excepted, are numbered serially in the order of their issue from the press.

NOTICE TO BEARERS OF PASSPORTS

CONTENTS

I-Miscellaneous information of general interest.

II-Expatriation of American citizens and the presumption of cessation of citizenship.

III-Status of American citizens in certain countries with which the United States has concluded naturalization treaties.

IV-Status of American citizens in certain countries with which the United States has not concluded naturalization treaties.

WARNING.-A naturalized citizen should read carefully Section II and those parts of Sections III or IV which relate to the country of which he was originally a national. Persons born in the United States of alien parents should also read these sections with care.

I. MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION OF GENERAL INTEREST

1. Signature. The signature of the person to whom a passport is issued should be affixed in the place indicated therein immediately upon its receipt.

2. Loss, destruction, or mutilation of passport.-A passport, whether valid or expired, is an important document. It should not be allowed to pass into the possession of an unauthorized person.

3. The loss, destruction, or mutilation of a valid passport should be reported immediately to the Passport Division, Department of State, Washington, D. C., or to the nearest American consular officer.

4. As a rule, new passports can be issued in such cases only after an exhaustive inquiry.

5. The application for a new passport to replace a valid passport which has been lost, destroyed, or mutilated must be accompanied by a detailed statement of the circumstances under which the passport was lost, destroyed, or mutilated.

6. Passports may be amended to include the American wife and American minor children of the person to whom issued upon the written request of the bearer. The passport agents in Boston, New York, Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Seattle have authority to amend passports. Passports may also be amended by American consular officers and, in the absence thereof, by American diplomatic officers.

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7. Passports, unless expressly limited to particular countries, are valid for all countries. Consequently no amendments to include specified countries will be necessary on such passports.

8. Regulations of foreign governments.-Passport and other travel regulations of foreign governments vary and are subject to changes. For authentic information regarding them, inquiry should be made, before leaving the United States, of the diplomatic or consular representatives of the countries to be visited with reference to the following subjects: Visas; import and export regulations relating to money, jewelry, and other valuables; and tax, travel, residence, health, and vaccination regulations.

9. Foreign visas should be obtained. Nearly all foreign governments require persons of other nationality entering their countries to be in possession of passport visas granted by the diplomatic or consular officers of those countries. Certain exceptions are noted below. As certain foreign visas are valid for one trip only, or restricted in the period of time for which they may be used, applicants for visas should be careful to state the length of the intended sojourn in the foreign country and the expected number of trips thereto. This is particularly true of visas for Poland.

10. American citizens are urgently advised to obtain visas from the appropriate foreign consuls stationed in this country before beginning their journeys, since it is understood that the regulations of a number of foreign countries require that a visa be obtained before the American leaves the United States. This is particularly true of Americans traveling to Great Britain via Canada and of Americans proceeding to Poland or India. An exception is in travel to Peru, whose regulations require the visa to be obtained in the country from which the traveler departs for Peru.

11. Americans who intend to travel in certain foreign countries, and in the outlying dominions, colonies, mandated territories, or dependencies of such countries, are cautioned to inquire regarding, and obtain, if necessary, specific visas not only for the foreign country, but for the outlying dominions, colonies, mandated territories, or dependencies, in which they intend to travel.

12. The visa regulations of foreign governments are enforced directly by the representatives of those governments. The Department of State does not under any circumstances act as intermediary in obtaining visas from representatives of foreign countries.

13. Countries where visas are not required.-An American citizen entering Switzerland must hold a passport, but a visa is not required unless he is seeking employment there.

14. No visas are required for Belgium, Cuba, Danzig, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Italy, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Siam, Sweden, Switzerland, or Uruguay.

15. Visas are not necessary for Danzig if entry is made directly by sea. If, however, entry is made by way of the Polish Corridor or by way of Germany, the Polish or German visa is necessary.

16. No Netherlands visa is required of Americans traveling by land or by sea in transit through the Netherlands. In order to be admitted to the Netherlands they are, however, required to produce a visa of the country to which they are traveling. These persons

are permitted to stay eight days in the Netherlands. Should they stay longer, they will be liable to be treated as persons whose papers are not in order and who, therefore, can be ordered to leave the country. Americans traveling in transit through the Netherlands to the United States or to a country into which they are admitted without a visa will be admitted to the Netherlands without any visa at all.

16a. An American citizen leaving the United States for a country where passports are not required is nevertheless advised to carry a passport, except in travel to Canada or Mexico. The passport may later save the time and inconvenience of applying for one abroad should the holder desire to travel in countries where passports are required. It will also enable the holder to establish his American citizenship upon his return to the United States and thus facilitate his entry. American citizens who leave the United States without passports should carry with them proof of their citizenship, such as birth, baptism, or naturalization certificates.

17. Registration at American consulate.-American citizens intending to make an extended sojourn in a foreign country should register in the nearest American consulate immediately upon arrival in the foreign country.

18. Registration with local authorities.-Information in regard to local police registration, etc., in foreign countries should be obtained from the local authorities direct or through the nearest American consulate.

19. Dual nationality.-Persons born in the United States of unnaturalized parents are American citizens under American law, but they may also be citizens or subjects of the country of their parents' origin under the law of that country. As the legal right of the other country to the allegiance of such persons while within their territory can not be denied by this Government, the department can offer no assurances to them that any representations which it may make on their behalf will be successful.

20. Military service in foreign countries.-Naturalized American citizens and persons born in this country of foreign-born parents should, before proceeding to the country of their origin, or that of the origin of their parents, ascertain their status with regard to military service in such country.

II.—EXPATRIATION OF AMERICAN CITIZENS AND THE PRESUMPTION OF CESSATION OF CITIZENSHIP

21. Oath of allegiance to a foreign State or naturalization therein. In connection with military service in foreign countries, particular attention is called to the fact that an American citizen over 21 years of age loses his American citizenship by taking an oath of allegiance to a foreign State. He also loses American citizenship through naturalization in a foreign State. (See following paragraph.)

That any American citizen shall be deemed to have expatriated himself when he has been naturalized in any foreign State in conformity with its laws, or when he has taken an oath of allegiance to any foreign State. (Section 2, act of March 2, 1907; 34 Stat. 1228.)

21a. Naturalized American citizens are warned that their rights of citizenship may be lost as a result of a residence of two years in their native lands or five years in other foreign lands, under the provisions of section 2 of the citizenship act of March 2, 1907, or of the acquisition of a residence of a permanent nature in any foreign country within five years after naturalization in the United States. The statutory provisions referred to read as follows:

When any naturalized citizen shall have resided for two years in the foreign State from which he came, or for five years in any other foreign State, it shall be presumed that he has ceased to be an American citizen, and the place of his general abode shall be deemed his place of residence during said years: Provided, however, That such presumption may be overcome on the presentation of satisfactory evidence to a diplomatic or consular officer of the United States, under such rules and regulations as the Department of State may prescribe: And provided also, That no American citizen shall be allowed to expatriate himself when this country is at war. (Section 2, act of March 2, 1907; 34 Stat. 1228.)

If any alien who shall have secured a certificate of citizenship under the provisions of this act shall, within five years after the issuance of such.certificate, return to the country of his nativity, or go to any other foreign country, and take permanent residence therein, it shall be considered prima facie evidence of a lack of intention on the part of such alien to become a permanent citizen of the United States at the time of filing his application for citizenship, and, in the absence of countervailing evidence, it shall be sufficient in the proper proceeding to authorize the cancellation of his certificate of citizenship as fraudulent, and the diplomatic and consular officers of the United States in foreign countries shall from time to time, through the Department of State, furnish the Department of Justice with the names of those within their respective jurisdictions who have such certificates of citizenship and who have taken permanent residence in the country, and such statements, duly certified, shall be admissible in evidence in all courts in proceedings to cancel certificates of citizenship. (Second paragraph, section 15, act of June 29, 1906; 34 Stat. 596.)

21b. Women citizens of the United States married to aliens are also warned that their rights of citizenship may be lost as a result of a residence of two years continuously in the foreign State of which their husbands are citizens or subjects, or five years continuously outside the United States. The law on this subject reads as follows:

That a woman citizen of the United States shall not cease to be a citizen of the United States by reason of her marriage after the passage of this act, unless she makes a formal renunciation of her citizenship before a court having jurisdiction over naturalization of ailens; * * If at the termination of

the marital status she is a citizen of the United States, she shall retain her citizenship regardless of her residence. If during the continuance of the marital status she resides continuously for two years in a foreign State of which her husband is a citizen or subject, or for five years continuously outside of the United States, she shall thereafter be subject to the same presumption as is a naturalized citizen of the United States under the second paragraph of section 2 of the act entitled "An act in reference to the expatriation of citizens and their protection abroad," approved March 2, 1907. Nothing herein shall be construed to repeal or amend the provisions of Revised Statutes 1999 or of section 2 of the expatriation act of 1907 with reference to expatriation. (Section 3, act of September 22, 1922; 42 Stat. 1021.)