Identification Requirements for Guests and Visitors

REAL ID Requirements in Effect. Brookhaven National Laboratory enforces identification requirements for site access in compliance with the REAL ID Act of 2005, a federal law that sets standards for identification used to board commercial aircraft, access federal facilities, and enter nuclear power plants. As a federal facility, Brookhaven National Laboratory must comply with these standards. See full details about REAL ID and find out if you're REAL ID-ready with this online interactive tool.

Remote Users

• Remote users located inside the USA must provide copies of identification documents upon request. Refer to your citizenship category below for specific ID requirements.
• Remote users located outside the USA must provide either a copy of their passport or another form of government photo ID.

U.S. Citizens

REAL ID requirements are in effect. All visitors, users, guests, and contractors requesting access to the Lab site must provide an active REAL ID-compliant identification document to either the Laboratory Protection Division or the Guest, User & Visitor Center. There is an exception for US citizens under 18 years of age; please see U.S. Citizen Minors, below.

A REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or ID card features a star in the upper right corner. An Enhanced Driver’s License features an American flag in the lower right corner and is also REAL ID-compliant.

Those who do not have a REAL ID-compliant driver license can also use:

If you have questions about the REAL ID requirement, please contact SecurityBadges@bnl.gov.

For our foreign national guests and visitors who previously had an appointment with us and are now naturalized US citizens, congratulations! Please bring your certificate of naturalization or updated passport so we can update your record.

U.S. Citizen Minors

U.S. citizen minors must appear in person and provide proper identity. If a U.S. citizen minor is unable to present a valid U.S. passport or REAL ID, the U.S. citizen minor should present the following.

• Original or certified copy of a birth certificate issued by a state, county, municipal authority, or outlying possession of the United States bearing an official seal;
• Student ID card with a photograph

Lawful Permanent Residents of the United States

Lawful permanent residents of the United States must bring a U.S. Green Card (the U.S. Green Card or the I-551 stamp must be valid for the duration of the visit) AND a REAL ID driver’s license upon initial check-in at Brookhaven Lab and each time visa status changes thereafter or a new Brookhaven ID badge is issued. If you currently do not hold a U.S. Green Card, you may bring an original passport with the I-551 stamp as identification until a U.S. Green Card is issued. Note that the passport must be valid for the duration of site access.

U.S.-sponsored Visa Holders

Non-U.S. citizens, who have not been granted a U.S. green card or permanent residency, must bring their valid original passport that is valid for the duration of the visit or assignment (with I-94 record. I-94 record may be one of the following: I-94 card, US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) admission stamp in passport, CBP I-94 website printout or I-797A version of I-94 issued by USCIS after admission to US. the I-94 must be valid for the duration of the visit or appointment or marked as D/S [duration of status]) and applicable visa with any USCIS visa stamp in passport supporting the visa status and/or renewals (USCIS documentation may be: for H, I-797 Approval Notice; for F, I-20; for F/OPT, I-20 with OPT authorization and EAD; and for J, DS-2019) to Brookhaven Lab upon their initial check-in and each time their visa status changes thereafter or a new Brookhaven Lab ID badge is issued. Individuals with employment authorization cards must also bring their card with them upon their initial check-in at Brookhaven. Pending H/STEM must have approved I-797 form. Must have valid I-94 record or EAD for the duration of the visit or assignment. Foreign nationals with the following visa classifications are not eligible to hold a BNL appointment, and therefore not eligible to work at Brookhaven: J2 (without EAD), F2 or H4.

Please bring with you, depending on your visa type:

Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Participants

For entry onto Brookhaven Lab property, you must present your original and unexpired machine-readable passport containing a valid CBP admission stamp showing a WB (Visa Waiver for Business) and NOT a WT (Visa Waiver for Tourism).

IMPORTANT: Guests with WT admission stamp on their passport WILL NOT be given a Brookhaven ID badge and MUST return to the airport/port of entry to ask for correction of the admission stamp in their passport.

Effective January 9, 2009, foreign travelers coming into the U.S. under the visa waiver program must "pre-authorize" themselves online through the "Electronic System for Travel Authorization" (ESTA). It is recommended that travelers log into ESTA as far in advance of their travel as possible, but no less than 72 hours before departure.

B1 Visitors

For entry onto Brookhaven Lab property, you must present your original and unexpired machine-readable passport containing a CBP admission stamp showing a B1 (Business) and NOT a B2 (Tourism).

IMPORTANT: Guests with B2 admission stamp on their passport WILL NOT be given a Brookhaven Lab ID badge and MUST return to the airport/port of entry to ask for correction of the admission stamp in their passport.

Foreign nationals with the following visa classifications are not eligible to hold a Brookhaven Lab appointment; and, therefore, not eligible to work at Brookhaven: WT or B2.

Individuals with a People's Republic of China issued passport bearing a 10-year B1/B2, B1 or B2 (visitor) visa will be required to have a valid Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS) enrollment when traveling to the United States beginning November 29, 2016. EVUS is the online system used by nationals of the People's Republic of China to facilitate their travel to the United States and are valid for two years or until the traveler obtains a new passport or visa, whichever comes first.
 

* Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) establishes document requirements for travel by land or sea into the United States from Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean and Bermuda. SENTRI cards are for entry into the United States from Mexico and NEXUS cards are for entry into the United States from Canada. The Free and Secure Trade (FAST) cards are available to commercial drivers crossing both the northern and southern borders into the United States.

Further Instructions

Instructions on identification requirements for subsequent visits to Brookhaven Lab will be provided upon check-in. This documentation is required for issuance of appointments and any subsequent appointment renewals. A Brookhaven photo ID card cannot be issued without the appropriate identification.

How to return your ID Badge (PDF)