Title 22—Foreign Relations--Volume 1
PART 22—SCHEDULE OF FEES FOR CONSULAR SERVICES—DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND FOREIGN SERVICE
§ 22.1   Schedule of fees.
The following table sets forth the fees for the following categories listed on the U.S. Department of State's Schedule of Fees for Consular Services:
Schedule of Fees for Consular Services
§ 22.2   Requests for services in the United States.
(a) Requests for records. Requests by the file subject or the individual's authorized agent for services involving U.S. passport applications and related records, including consular birth, marriage and death records and authentication of other passport file documents, as well as records of births, marriages and deaths within the former Canal Zone of Panama recorded and maintained by the Canal Zone Government from 1904 to September 30, 1979, shall be addressed to Passport Services, Correspondence Branch, Department of State, Washington, D.C. 20524. Requests for consular birth records should specify whether a Consular Report of Birth (Form FS 240, or long form) or Certification of Birth (Form DS 1350, or short form) is desired. Advance remittance of the exact fee is required for each service.
(b) Authentication services. Requests for Department of State authentication of documents other than passport file documents must be accompanied by remittance of the exact total fee chargeable and addressed to the Authentication Officer, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520.
§ 22.3   Remittances in the United States.
(a) Type of remittance. Remittances shall be in the form of: (1) Check or bank draft drawn on a bank in the United States; (2) money order—postal, international or bank; or (3) U.S. currency. Remittances shall be made payable to the order of the Department of State. The Department will assume no responsibility for cash which is lost in the mail.
(b) Exact payment of fees. Fees must be paid in full prior to issuance of requested documents. If uncertainty as to the existence of a record or as to the number of sheets to be copied precludes remitting the exact fee chargeable with the request, the Department of State will inform the interested party of the exact amount required.
§ 22.4   Requests for services, Foreign Service.
Officers of the Foreign Service shall charge for official services performed abroad at the rates prescribed in this schedule, in coin of the United States or at its representative value in exchange (22 U.S.C. 1202). For definition of representative value in exchange, see § 23.4 of this chapter. No fees named in this schedule shall be charged or collected for the official services to American vessels and seamen (22 U.S.C. 1186). The term “American vessels” is defined to exclude, for the purposes of this schedule, undocumented American vessels and the fees prescribed herein shall be charged and collected for such undocumented vessels. However, the fees prescribed herein shall not be charged or collected for American public vessels, which includes any vessel owned or operated by a U.S. Government department or agency and engaged exclusively in official business on a non-commercial basis. This schedule of fees shall be kept posted in a conspicuous place in each Foreign Service consular office, subject to the examination by all persons interested therein (22 U.S.C. 1197).
§ 22.5   Remittances to Foreign Service posts.
Remittances to Foreign Service posts from persons in the United States in payment of offical fees and charges or for the purpose of establishing deposits in advance of rendition of services shall be in a form acceptable to the post, drawn payable to the American Embassy (name of city), American Consulate General (name of city) or American Consulate (name of city), as the case may be. This will permit cashing of negotiable instruments for deposit in the Treasury when not negotiated locally. See § 23.2 of this chapter.
(a) Time at which fees become payable. Fees are due and payble prior to issue or delivery to the interested party of a signed document, a copy of a record, or other paper representative of a service performed.
(b) Receipt for fees; register of services. Every officer of the Foreign Service responsible for the performance of services as enumerated in the Schedule of Fees for Consular Services, Department of State and Foreign Service (§ 22.1), shall give receipts for fees collected for the official services rendered, specifying the nature of the service and numbered to correspond with entries in a register maintained for the purpose (22 U.S.C. 1192, 1193, and 1194). The register serves as a record of official acts performed by officers of the Foreign Service in a governmental or notarial capacity, corresponding in this regard with the record which notaries are usually expected or required to keep of their official acts. See § 92.2 of this chapter.
(c) Deposits to guarantee payment of fees or incidental costs. When the amount of any fee is determinable only after initiation of the performance of a service, or if incidental costs are involved, the total fee and incidental costs shall be carefully estimated and an advance deposit required, subject to refund of any unused balance to the person making the deposit.
§ 22.6   Refund of fees.
(a) Fees which have been collected for deposit in the Treasury are refundable:
(1) As specifically authorized by law (See 22 U.S.C. 214a concerning passport fees erroneously charged persons excused from payment and 46 U.S.C. 8 concerning fees improperly imposed on vessels and seamen);
(2) When the principal officer at the consular post where the fee was collected (or the officer in charge of the consular section at a combined diplomatic/consular post) finds upon review of the facts that the collection was erroneous under applicable law; and
(3) Where determination is made by the Department of State with a view to payment of a refund in the United States in cases which it is impracticable to have the facts reviewed and refund effected by and at the direction of the responsible consular office. See § 13.1 of this chapter concerning refunds of fees improperly exacted by consular officers who have neglected to return the same.
(b) Refunds of $5.00 or less will not be paid to the remitter unless a claim is specifically filed at the time of payment for the excess amount. An automatic refund on overpayments due to misinformation or mistakes on the part of the Department of State will be made.
§ 22.7   Collection and return of fees.
No fees other than those prescribed in the Schedule of Fees, § 22.1, or by or pursuant to an act of Congress, shall be charged or collected by officers of the Foreign Service for official services performed abroad (22 U.S.C. 1201). All fees received by any officer of the Foreign Service for services rendered in connection with the duties of office or as a consular officer shall be accounted for and paid into the Treasury of the United States (22 U.S.C. 99 and 812). For receipt, registry, and numbering provisions, see § 22.5(b). Collections for transportation and other expenses necessary for performance of services or for Interested Party toll telephone calls shall be refunded to post allotment accounts and made available for meeting such expenses.