How to Get a U.S. Passport Without Donald Trump's Image Starting July 2026
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- The U.S. State Department will issue passports featuring President Donald Trump starting July 2026 to commemorate the country's 250th anniversary.
- Travelers can opt for a standard passport design if they prefer not to have Trump's image and signature.
- The process for requesting the standard design varies depending on the application location, with Washington D.C. offices defaulting to the commemorative version.
In a move that has sparked considerable discussion, the U.S. Department of State has announced plans to issue passports featuring President Donald Trump's image and signature as part of the nation's 250th-anniversary celebrations. This commemorative edition, set to be released in July 2026, includes Trump's official portrait superimposed on the Declaration of Independence text and his signature in gold lettering. While this design aims to honor a significant national milestone, it also presents a unique choice for American citizens.
quienes no quieran el diseรฑo conmemorativo podrรกn optar por el pasaporte estรกndar.
For those who prefer a more traditional document, the option to obtain a standard passport remains available. However, the process for opting out of the commemorative design is not uniform across all application centers. Notably, applicants at the Washington D.C. passport office will receive the Trump-themed passport by default and must explicitly request the standard version. In contrast, those applying online or at other offices nationwide will automatically receive the traditional design, eliminating the need for a special request.
Quienes tramiten el pasaporte en lรญnea o en cualquier otra oficina del paรญs recibirรกn automรกticamente el diseรฑo tradicional, sin necesidad de solicitarlo.
This initiative raises questions about the intersection of political symbolism and official documentation. As a document used for international travel and identification, the U.S. passport carries significant weight. The inclusion of a sitting president's image is unprecedented in modern U.S. passport history, according to Georgetown University professor Edward Kolla. This departure from established practice means that for the next decade, many Americans might carry a passport that prominently features the current president, a stark contrast to the neutral designs of the past. The implications for how this document is perceived internationally, and domestically, remain to be seen.
El nuevo diseรฑo muestra el retrato oficial de Trump (tomado de su segunda inauguraciรณn) superpuesto sobre el texto de la Declaraciรณn de Independencia y una bandera estadounidense. La firma presidencial aparece en letras doradas. La contratapa incluye una reproducciรณn del cuadro de John Trumbull que representรณ la firma de ese documento fundacional.
Originally published by La Naciรณn in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.