Eritrea Passport Documents Checklist

Eritrea's domestic passport services are not reachable online, so this page follows the embassy line (US and Sweden) — the diplomatic missions that process passport applications for Eritrean citizens abroad. The two missions differ on fees, so both are given. Verified against the Eritrean embassies in the US and Sweden, October 2026.

The 15-second answer

You apply by completing the passport form online and mailing your documents to the embassy. Both embassies require the Eritrean National ID (age 18+), the Recovery and Rehabilitation tax clearance, photos at 35×45 mm on a white background, and the usual supporting copies. The fees differ by line: the US embassy charges $200 plus a $13 photo-printing fee and a $10 service fee; the Swedish embassy charges 2 000 SEK (adult) / 1 550 SEK (under age), and a replacement costs 2 450 / 2 000 SEK.

Documents — common to both lines

• Eritrean National ID (for anyone 18 or older).
• Photos: 35×45 mm on a white background (see the photo page).
• Recovery and Rehabilitation Tax clearance (the Swedish line adds: satisfy all national obligations, including the 2% payment from 1992 to the present).
• Permanent Residence Card (Green Card) — copy.
• Completed and signed passport application form, online.

United States embassy line

• Photos: three photos, 35×45 mm, white background.
• Also: birth certificate (copy), and the current Recovery and Rehabilitation Tax clearance.
• Fees: processing fee $200, photo printing fee $13, services fee $10 — all non-refundable.
• Renewal: processing fee $50 (a renewal extends the passport expiry by one year from the original expiry date).
• Lost or damaged: processing fee $200 (18+) / $150 (under age).
• Under age (new): processing fee $150 for a new passport and $75 for a replacement; also a copy of the birth certificate and copies of both parents' Eritrean National IDs.
• Mail the current passport (original, not a copy) to the Embassy of Eritrea, 1708 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20009.

Swedish embassy line

• Documents: the forms and the national obligations (2% from 1992–present); Eritrean ID card and Swedish Personbevis (same for applicants in Norway, Denmark and Finland); mother's Eritrean ID.
• Photos: four passport-size photographs, 35×45 mm, plain white background, recent (within one month).
• Fees (new): 2 000 SEK adult / 1 550 SEK under age.
• Fees (replacement): 2 450 SEK adult / 2 000 SEK under age.
• Adding children: a maximum of three children can be added to a parent's passport, at 300 SEK per child (copy of birth certificates required).
• Replacement: show the old passport to a consular representative; it stays with the representative until the new machine-readable passport arrives (it is then cancelled — marked CANCELLED, punched, or cut at the top right corner).

Applying

• Complete and sign the passport application form online.
• Pay the relevant fee online, using the methods available at checkout (Swedish line) / as instructed (US line).
• Mail your documents and current passport to the embassy handling your case.

Passport type

The new passport is a machine-readable passport. A Laissez-Passer is separate and can only be used for emergency one-way travel to Eritrea; it requires an Eritrean National ID, two photos (35×45 mm, white background), an old passport copy and a flight itinerary, and it costs $25 plus the $13 photo-printing and $10 service fees. For reference, a Laissez-Passer is valid for six months.

Frequently asked questions

What documents do I need for an Eritrea passport?
Both embassy lines require the Eritrean National ID (18+), the Recovery and Rehabilitation tax clearance, 35x45 mm white-background photos, a copy of your Permanent Residence Card and the completed online form. The US line also asks for a birth certificate copy; the Swedish line for a Swedish Personbevis and the mother's Eritrean ID.

How much does an Eritrea passport cost?
The fees differ by embassy line. The US embassy charges $200 plus a $13 photo-printing fee and a $10 service fee. The Swedish embassy charges 2,000 SEK for an adult and 1,550 SEK for a minor; a replacement is 2,450 / 2,000 SEK.

How many photos for an Eritrea passport?
Three at the US embassy and four at the Swedish embassy; both require 35x45 mm on a white background. Confirm the count with the embassy handling your application.

Can I add my children to my Eritrea passport?
On the Swedish line, a maximum of three children can be added to a parent's passport, at 300 SEK per child, with copies of their birth certificates.

How do I renew or replace an Eritrea passport?
Complete the form online and mail the old passport. On the US line a renewal is $50; a lost or damaged passport is $200 (18+) / $150 (under age). On the Swedish line a replacement is 2,450 / 2,000 SEK, and the old passport stays with the consular representative until the new one is issued.

Is there an emergency travel document for Eritrea?
Yes - a Laissez-Passer, for emergency one-way travel to Eritrea only. It needs an Eritrean National ID, two 35x45 mm white-background photos, an old passport copy and a flight itinerary, and costs $25 plus the photo-printing and service fees.

Prepare the photos with the photo size chart and see the rules in the validity guide; browse the checklists hub for more.

All checklists →  Eritrea photo specs →

Source note (embassy line, US/SE): the documents, the US dollar fees ($200 / $50 / $150 / $75, plus $13 and $10), the three-photo count and the mailing address are from the Embassy of Eritrea in the United States, us.embassyeritrea.org/passport/; the Swedish kronor fees (2 000 / 1 550 and 2 450 / 2 000 SEK), the 300 SEK per-child add-on (max three), the Personbevis and mother's-ID requirements and the four-photo count are from the Eritrean Embassy in Sweden passport form, eritrean-embassy.se/pdf/en-passport.pdf (both checked October 2026). Eritrea's domestic government services are not reachable online, so the embassy line is used; the two missions' fees are given as each publishes them.