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Passports and Travel Abroad |
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Passports for Adults | Passport for
Kids | Renewals | Reissues
| Expedite Process |
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Status Check | More Information
| Travel Warnings| Immunizations | Driving
Abroad|
Americans who travel
to most countries other than our near neighbors (for example, Canada and
Mexico) must have a valid passport. In general, it takes about 4-5 weeks to
process an application. You can obtain Passport Services and Information,
including the location of the nearest Passport Acceptance Agency or Passport
Office, by visiting the
State Department's
Passport Services and Information web site.
First-time passports for adults (persons 16 or
older)
Where do I apply? In person at your closest Passport
Acceptance Agency or Passport Office. To find the office nearest you,
please visit the Where to Apply for a
Passport Nationwide web site.
What form do I use? Fill out a
DSP-11 form, the original
of which is brown and white in color.
What else do I need to bring with me? Along with the
completed form you are required to provide proof of United States citizenship.
This proof may be a State-certified copy of your birth certificate, an old US
passport, your naturalization certificate, or a certificate of American
citizenship. Along with the proof of citizenship, you have to prove your
identity with a photo ID. This proof may be a valid US drivers license (learner
permits are not accepted), a military ID, a pilots license, a school ID, or a
similar document. If you are 16 or 17 years old, you may also be required to
have a parent or guardian with you.
What about the photographs? You must have two identical
passport photographs, normally taken within the last 6 months. A detailed
description of photograph requirements is on the passport application
form. Consult your yellow pages for listings for passport
photographers.
How much does it cost and for how long is a passport
good? The total fee is $85.00 and the passport is valid for 10
years. |
Passports for children (persons 15 or
younger) |
Who applies for the passport? A parent or
guardian.
What documents and other papers are required? Proof of
the childs citizenship, 2 passport photographs, a
DSP-11 form completed by
the parent, and proof of the parents identity.
How much does it cost and for how long is this passport
good? The total fee is $70.00 and the childs passport will be
valid for 5 years.
Do the children have to apply in person? Children 12
years old and younger are not required to appear in person at a Passport
Acceptance Agency or Passport Office. All others must apply in person and may
be required to have a parent or guardian with them.
Can I renew a childs passport? No. If the
individual is still not 16 years old when the passport expires, then the same
process has to be followed as explained above.
Additional
Fees
An additional
adjudication fee of $100 will be charged to previously undocumented passport
customers who were born outside the United States and who have not been issued
any of the following documents: a U.S. passport, a consular Report of Birth
Abroad, a Certification of Report of Birth, a Certificate of Naturalization or
a Certificate of Citizenship.
An additional fee $15
will be charged when, upon request, the Department of State verifies issuance
of a previous U.S. passport or consular Report of Birth Abroad because the
customer is unable to submit evidence of U.S. citizenship.
No fee is charged to
applicants with U.S. Government or military authorization for no-fee passports
(except designated acceptance facilities may collect an execution fee of
$15). |
Passport Renewals |
What is the deadline for renewal? An expired
adults passport must be renewed no later than 15 years after the issue
date.
Is the application form different? Yes. Its a
form DSP-82, the original
of which is red and white and is available from Passport Acceptance Agencies
and Passport Offices.
What do I submit? The form, the old passport, name
change information (if applicable), and new photos.
How much does it cost? The total fee is
$55.00.
Do I have to apply in person? No. You should mail the
form and the required materials to the address on the back of the form. You
should try to reserve personal visits for when you are requesting expedited
processing of your application. |
Passport Reissues (for modifications or
changes) |
Is the application form different? Yes. For amendments
(name changes, adding pages), its a
form DSP-19.
What do I submit? The form, the old passport, name
change information (if applicable), and new photos (if applicable).
How much does it cost? There is no fee for this
service unless you require expedited service.
Do I have to apply in person? No. You should mail the
form and the required materials to the address on the back of the form. You
should try to reserve personal visits for when you are requesting expedited
processing of your application. |
Expediting the Process |
Can I get the passport faster? Yes, if you have proof of
early departure and pay an additional $60.00 for each expedited passport.
Price does not include overnight mail service. Two-way overnight mail is
strongly suggested and must be arranged and paid for by the
customer. |
Status
Check |
How can I check the status of my application and how much will
it cost? To check the status of an application you must call the
National Passport Information Center, at a cost of 35 cents per minute for
automated service or $1.05 per minute for operator service. Operators are
available from 8:30am to 5:30pm, eastern time Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays. The number is 1-900-CALL-NPIC (1-900-225-5674), or 1-900-225-7778 for
TTY users. Credit card users pay $4.95 per call by dialing 1-888-362-8668 (TTY
users dial 1-888-498-3648). |
More
Information |
What if I have another question you havent answered
above? To verify locations of Passport Acceptance Agencies or Passport
Offices, to get more information concerning any documentation requirements or
expedite procedures, you may call the National Passport Information Center
(listed above under Status
Check) or our National Contact Center toll-free
1 (800) FED INFO. |
Travel
Warnings |
The Department of
State regularly issues advice to Americans about unsafe or potentially unsafe
conditions in the U.S. State Department
Travel Warnings and
Consular Information Sheets. |
Immunizations |
You may check on
immunizations requirements and other health issues connected with international
travel by talking to your personal physician, by calling your county health
department, or by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's
Travel Information
Page. |
Driving
Abroad |
Many
foreign countries require that Americans have an International Drivers Permit
(IDP) in addition to a license from their home State. You may check the closest
consular office of the country you are visiting to confirm whether you need an
IDP and for insurance requirements for Americans who wish to drive in that
country. If you are unsure where the consular office is, please call the
Federal Information left toll-free at
1 (800) FED INFO. Your automobile insurance carrier should also be
able to tell you about coverage in another country.
If you
are over 18, have a valid license, and two passport-size photographs, you may
obtain an IDP from a local office of the American Automobile Association. If a
local office is not listed in your telephone directory, please visit
AAAs web site for guidance.
For
precautions on driving and train travel overseas, you may read through the U.S.
Department of States article, "Traveling
By Train and Driving Abroad."
Reviewed:
August 4, 2004
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This service is provided by the Federal Citizen
Information Center of the U.S. General Services
Administration. If you have a comment or question,
e-mail
us. |
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