You may use the Electronic Submission to submit requests for documents under the Freedom of Information Act. This tool can be used to submit a request for records maintained or controlled by the Department of State. Requests should be submitted by only one method – electronically, by facsimile, or by mail. Please DO NOT submit duplicate requests. You may contact our staff for confirmation of receipt or to check on the status of a submission.
Non-Department of State Records
If you are not requesting Department of State records, you may wish to visit other Federal Agencies' FOIA websites.
The Department of State maintains records dealing with: (A) formulation and execution of U.S. Foreign Policy, (B) administration and operations of the Department of State and U.S. Missions abroad, (C) applications from U.S. Citizens for U.S. Passports, (D) visa requests from non-citizens to enter the U.S., (E) consular assistance given to U.S. Citizens abroad, and (F) current and former employees of the Department of State. You may use this form to submit requests for DEPARTMENT OF STATE RECORDS. If you are not requesting Department of State records, you may wish to visit other Federal Agencies' FOIA websites.
The Department of State maintains the following personal records: (A) applications from U.S. citizens for U.S. passports, (B) visa requests from non-citizens to enter the U.S., (C) personal correspondence with U.S. Embassies, Consulates, and Missions abroad, and (D) Employment records of current and former employees of the Department of State. In order to protect your privacy as well as the privacy of others, requests for personal information should include either a notarized statement or a statement signed under penalty of perjury stating that you are the individual you claim to be. REQUESTS FOR PERSONAL INFORMATION CANNOT BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY AND SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BY MAIL.
The Department of State maintains records on visa requests from non-citizens to enter the United States. Records dealing with visa requests are considered personal information; therefore, requests for such records should be submitted by mail. Click Here to learn more about Visa Records.
If you encounter difficulty using the electronic submission form, you may wish to use the FOIA Request Walkthrough and the Information Access Guide as guidance for writing your request.
The confidentiality of communications sent via the Internet cannot be guaranteed and the electronic submission of your Freedom of Information Act request is purely voluntary. You may alternatively print the contents of your request letter and submit via fax at (202) 261-8579 or via U.S. mail.
† Although you are not required to provide your email address or telephone number, doing so will help facilitate communication and providing an email address will allow us to provide you with an automatic acknowledgement of receipt.