State Department phone number: verified official numbers
The main State Department phone number is 1-877-487-2778 (U.S. passports, National Passport Information Center). From outside the US, call +1 202-501-4444 (Emergencies abroad, from overseas, not toll-free).
Checked on usa.gov on November 9, 2026.
All verified State Department numbers
These are the 3 numbers U.S. Department of State (Passports & Overseas Citizens Services) publishes on its official pages. We list only what we could read there ourselves; a number missing here may still be real, so check state.gov before you trust one that isn't.
| Line | Number | Works from abroad |
|---|---|---|
U.S. passports (National Passport Information Center) Passport questions Source: usa.gov | 1-877-487-2778 | Usually not (toll-free) |
Emergencies abroad (from overseas) Overseas Citizens Services: U.S. citizens in an emergency abroad Source: usa.gov | +1 202-501-4444 | Yes |
Emergencies abroad (toll-free) Overseas Citizens Services; also for families concerned about a relative outside the U.S. Source: usa.gov | 1-888-407-4747 | Usually not (toll-free) |
Is this call really from the State Department?
You can't tell from caller ID alone: scammers routinely make a real State Department number show up on your screen. The safe move is to hang up and call the State Department back on a number from the table above (or from the back of your card or an official letter), never on a number the caller gives you.
Treat these as red flags whoever the caller claims to be: pressure to act right now, threats of arrest, deportation or a frozen account, requests for gift cards, crypto or a wire transfer, and any request for a one-time passcode, PIN or full password. Got a number you don't recognize? Check it below, or run it through the spam number checker.
How to call the State Department from abroad
From outside the US, call +1 202-501-4444 (Emergencies abroad, from overseas, not toll-free).
Toll-free numbers are paid for by the organization, and that arrangement mostly stops at the border, so a foreign mobile usually gets an error. Our guide to calling 1-800 numbers from outside the US covers the ways around it.
For hold times, the best hours to call from your time zone and what to have ready, see how to call an embassy or consulate abroad.
Frequently asked questions
What is the State Department phone number?
The main State Department phone number is 1-877-487-2778 (U.S. passports, National Passport Information Center). From outside the US, call +1 202-501-4444 (Emergencies abroad, from overseas, not toll-free). We copied it from usa.gov on November 9, 2026.
Can I call the State Department from outside the US?
Yes: From outside the US, call +1 202-501-4444 (Emergencies abroad, from overseas, not toll-free). You pay the normal per-minute rate for a call to the US.
Is 1-877-487-2778 really the State Department?
Yes, 1-877-487-2778 is published on usa.gov as the State Department line for U.S. passports, National Passport Information Center. But scammers can make any number appear on your caller ID, so a call showing it isn't proof. If it called you, hang up and call 1-877-487-2778 back yourself.
Sources
Every number on this page was read on an official page (usa.gov) on November 9, 2026. Pages we checked:
- usa.gov/agencies/bureau-of-consular-affairs