Prescribing Document

Department of Defense

DIRECTIVE
NUMBER 1000.21E
October 20, 2009
Incorporating Change 3, Effective April 29, 2022
DA&M
SUBJECT:

DoD Passport and Passport Agent Services

References: (a) DoD Directive 1000.21, “DoD Passport and Passport Agent Services,” July 9,
1992 (hereby canceled)
(b) Part 51 of title 22, Code of Federal Regulations
(c) DoD Directive 5101.01, “DoD Executive Agent,” February 7, 2022
(d) Washington Headquarters Services Memorandum, “Approval of
Administrative Changes to Office of the Director of Administration and
Management (ODA&M) DoD Issuances, Phase 2,” March 21, 2022
(e) Public Law 116-283, “William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021,” January 1, 2021
(f) Deputy Secretary of Defense Memorandum, “Disestablishment of the Chief
Management Officer of the DoD and Realignment of Functions and
Responsibilities,” January 11, 2021
(g) Deputy Secretary of Defense Memorandum, “Re-establishment of the
Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Oversight and the
Director of Administration and Management,” January 11, 2021
(h) DoD Manual O-1000.21, “Passport and Passport Agent Services,” March 6,
2017, as amended
(i) DoD Directive 4500.54E, “DoD Foreign Clearance Program (FCP),”
December 28, 2009, as amended
1. PURPOSE. This Directive:
a. Reissues Reference (a) to update policy and assign responsibilities for the administration
of DoD passport and passport agent services in accordance with Reference (b).
b. Designates the Secretary of the Army as the DoD Executive Agent (EA) for DoD Passport
and Passport Agent Services in accordance with Reference (c).

DoDD 1000.21E, October 20, 2009
2. APPLICABILITY. This Directive applies to OSD, the Military Departments, the Office of
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands, the
Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, the Defense Agencies, the DoD
Field Activities, and all other organizational entities within the Department of Defense (hereafter
referred to collectively as the “DoD Components”).
3. DEFINITIONS. See Glossary.
4. POLICY. It is DoD policy that:
a. Passports issued by the U.S. Government are official U.S. documents and are considered
at all times U.S. property.
b. DoD employees and eligible family members traveling outside the United States on
official travel to a foreign country requiring a U.S. passport pursuant to section 51.3(b) of
Reference (b) shall be provided an official U.S. passport, to include visas when required, at no
expense to the DoD employees or their family members.
c. DoD passport and passport agent services shall be made available to all DoD employees
and family members through designated DoD passport agents.
d. Designated DoD passport agents shall be full-time or permanent part-time DoD
employees or members of the Military Services.
e. Designated DoD passport agents shall not accept regular U.S. passport applications unless
granted written permission to do so by the Department of State (DoS) and the DoD EA for DoD
Passport and Passport Agent Services.
5. RESPONSIBILITIES. See Enclosure 2.
6. RELEASABILITY. Cleared for public release. This Directive is available on the DoD
Issuances Web Site at https://www.esd.whs.mil/DD/.
7. SUMMARY OF CHANGE 3. This change is administrative and, in accordance with the
March 21, 2022 Washington Headquarters Services Memorandum (Reference (d)):
a. Reassigns the Director of Administration, Office of the Deputy Chief Management
Officer of the Department of Defense responsibilities and duties to the Director of
Administration and Management (DA&M) in accordance with Section 901 of Public Law 116283 (Reference (e)), which eliminated the position of the Deputy Chief Management Officer of
the Department of Defense effective January 1, 2021; and the January 11, 2021 Deputy Secretary

Change 3, 04/29/2022

2

DoDD 1000.21E, October 20, 2009
of Defense Memorandums (References (f) and (g)), which implemented Reference (e) and
reestablished the DA&M.
b. Updates organizational titles and references for accuracy.
8. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Directive is effective October 20, 2009.

Enclosures
Responsibilities
Glossary

Change 3, 04/29/2022

3

DoDD 1000.21E, October 20, 2009
ENCLOSURE
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. DA&M. The DA&M shall:
a. Establish and implement DoD-wide policies and procedures pertaining to DoD passport
and passport agent services in accordance with sections 51.22(b)(4) and (5) of Reference (b).
b. Oversee the activities of the DoD EA for DoD Passport and Passport Agent Services.
2. SECRETARY OF THE ARMY. The Secretary of the Army shall:
a. Act as the DoD EA for DoD Passport and Passport Agent Services.
b. Exercise program management and oversight of DoD passport and passport agent
services.
c. Refer any passport matters requiring approval or disapproval by the Secretary of Defense
or Deputy Secretary of Defense to those officials through the DA&M.
d. Represent the Department of Defense on all passport matters governed by DoD Manual
O-1000.21 (Reference (h)) with DoS and other Executive Branch agencies when required.
e. Enter into agreements with DoS to ensure DoD compliance with Reference (b) and other
DoS policy guidance.
f. Administer DoD passport and passport agent services and ensure that DoD passport and
passport agent services are instituted according to DoS guidelines.
g. Serve as the DoD point of contact with DoS on policy matters related to DoD passport
and passport agent services to ensure that DoD employees and family members receive U.S.
passports to meet official travel requirements.
h. Provide DoS the information required on designated DoD passport agents.
i. Maintain the names of individuals who will serve as DoD passport and passport agent
services points of contact for the DoD Components.
j. Perform an annual review of DoD passport and passport agent services with DoS and the
DoD Components.

Change 3, 04/29/2022

4

ENCLOSURE

DoDD 1000.21E, October 20, 2009
k. Develop, pursuant to DoS policies and guidelines and DoD Directive 4500.54E
(Reference (i)), a DoD Passport Agent Training Program.
3. SECRETARIES OF THE MILITARY DEPARTMENTS. The Secretaries of the Military
Departments shall:
a. Designate in writing an office of primary responsibility (OPR) for ensuring compliance
with this Directive, Reference (h), and other guidelines issued by the DoD EA for DoD Passport
and Passport Agent Services; provide a copy of the appointment letter to the DoD EA.
b. Appoint passport agents according to instructions issued by the DoD EA.
c. Provide annually a representative to jointly review DoD EA intradepartmental policies
and procedures supporting DoD passport and passport agent services.
d. Ensure that interdepartmental DoD passport agents perform all services required by DoS
and the DoD EA for acceptance of official U.S. passport applications.
e. Notify the DoD EA of any changes in points of contact or OPRs within 30 days of the
effective date of the change.

Change 3, 04/29/2022

5

ENCLOSURE

DoDD 1000.21E, October 20, 2009
GLOSSARY
DEFINITIONS
These terms and their definitions are for the purpose of this Directive.
DoD employees. Includes civilian employees of the Department of Defense and members of the
Military Services.
official travel. Traveling in the discharge of U.S. Government business at Government expense.
passport. An internationally recognized travel document issued under the authority of the
Secretary of State attesting to the identity and nationality of the bearer. DoS issues three types of
passports:
A regular tourist passport, issued to a citizen of the United States traveling abroad for
personal or business reasons.
An official no-fee passport, issued to an official or employee of the U.S. Government
traveling abroad in the discharge of official duties.
A diplomatic passport, issued to a foreign service officer, a person in the diplomatic service,
or a person having diplomatic status either because of the nature of his or her foreign mission or
by reason of the office he or she holds.
passport agent. A person authorized and empowered by the Secretary of State, the DoD EA for
DoD Passport and Passport Agent Services, or the Secretaries of the Military Departments to
accept passport applications and perform passport services to include administering oaths for
passport purposes.
visa. A stamp or impression placed on a page of a valid passport by a foreign embassy or
consulate empowered to grant permission, as of the date issued, for the applicant to enter and
remain in that country for a specific period of time.

Change 3, 04/29/2022

6

GLOSSARY