7 Tips On How To Get A Passport
Recently, while renewing my passport, I was reminded that many people have never gotten a passport and don't know the 7 tips on how to get a passport.
I'm traveling to Brazil soon and U.S. citizens are required to get a visa. A Brazilian visa, like an adult U.S. passport, is valid for 10 years. Rather than having to travel with both passports, I opted to renew my passport now.
While at the passport office I overheard people being turned away, not being able to apply for their passports because they did not have the necessary documents. This included people who had already purchased airline tickets and made other nonrefundable travel arrangements.
So that you don't find yourself in a similar situation, here's my 7 tips on how to get a passport.
7 Tips On How To Get A Passport:
1. Have evidence of your U.S. citizenship
Acceptable evidence of U.S. citizenship includes:
- A previously issued, undamaged U.S. Passport
- A certified birth certificate (registrar's seal and signature) issued by the city, county or state
- A Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth (if born overseas)
- A Naturalization Certificate (if a naturalized citizen)
- A Certificate of Citizenship (if born overseas)
Don't live in the state where you were born? Don't have a certificated copy of your birth certificate? You can get a certified copy of your birth certificate through vital records from the state you were born or order via a service.
2. Complete Form DS-11, Application for a U.S. Passport ("Form DS-11")
You can complete Form DS-11 electronically or download and print in black or blue ink. Form DS-11 can be found here. Basic information such as name, address, social security number, marital status, place and date of birth, previous names used, height, hair color, weight, and parents' names and places and dates of birth, travel plans, and emergency contact information is required.
3. Provide one passport photo
Your passport photo must meet all the requirements; passport photo requirements can be found here. You can take the photograph yourself or use a professional passport photograph service such as:
Bring your passport photo along with your Form DS-11 in person, do not attach it to the form.
4. Have Identification
Acceptable identification includes:
- A previously issued, undamaged U.S. Passport
- Naturalization Certificate (if a naturalized citizen)
- Valid Driver's License
- Current Government ID (city, state or federal)
- Current Military ID (military and dependents)
If you do not have primary identification, you can submit Secondary Identification. Secondary Identification can be found here.
Additional ID may be required if you submit out-of-state primary identification.
Additional requirements are necessary for gender reassignment applicants. A list of additional information requirements for gender reassignment applicants can be found here.
5. Make a copy of your identification
The copy must be one-sided on plain white, 8 ½ x 11 paper and include the front and the back of your ID.
If you are unable to include the front and back of your ID on the same piece of paper you can use two separate pages.
6. Make an appointment
Appointments are required when applying at a Passport Agency or Center. A list of passport agencies or centers can be found here.
A list of passport acceptance facilities (post offices, clerks of the court, public libraries or other state, county, township, and municipal government offices) can be found here.
Submit your completed Form DS-1, citizenship documentation, identification, a copy of your ID, and passport photo in person.
7. Pay the applicable fee
Passport fees will vary depending on if you are applying for a new passport or renewing, whether you want a passport book and/or passport card, or just the passport card.
A complete list of passport fees can be found here.
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Good Post! I hold a Brazilian Visa that will expire in 5 years. My US Passport will expire next March, 2014. Is there any way to keep the Visa with the new passport? Or, will I just loose it when they punch the hole in the current passport?
Hi Bob,
While you can't transfer the Brazilian Visa to the new passport, you just need to bring both your expired passport and your new one when you travel to Brazil using your existing Brazilian Visa.
This is a post that anyone who's planning on traveling outside of the states needs to bookmark. If you don't know what you're doing, getting a passport can be an exercise in sheer frustration.
This is great information. Getting a passport can be difficult. More than that, it can be frustrating. I'm bookmarking this.
We had to get our passports renewed last year! It was not terribly hard to do but the steps definitely make it easier. My sons will need to be updated in the next year and I will definitely follow these steps.
It's been years since I had to renew my passport when I went to Mexico. I certainly needs to be renewed again if I decide to go outside the U.S. again. Great tips!
I'm glad that I found this, I really had no idea about getting a passport. I think it's about time to get my passport.
These are great tips for getting your passport. I just went and got ones for the whole family. I wish I had seen this post first.
This is a great post for a someone who has never gotten a passport before!! I just got none last year so I am set for a while!
Traveling can be a hard thing to do especially when you head out of the country. This will help so many people prepare.
These are some really good ideas. I think in this day in age if you are going to travel its good to get the progress started early and to always make sure you carry your identification with you finally travel.
These are awesome tips. I have never had a passport, but I would love to travel someday. I have always had this weird fear of traveling losing my passport and never being able to get home.
Great tips! Thank you so much for sharing. I have been putting off getting my passport but with several upcoming trips next year I really need to get on the ball.
Getting a passport should be quick and easy once you have the necessary docs like you said. This is a very helful post.
This is definitely a great list of steps when it comes to getting your passport. Thanks for sharing these. It will be a few years before I have to renew my passport again.
Great tips! I've never gotten a passport, but I hope to get one (and use it) someday!
Really great tips. I've had to renew my passport twice in the last 10 years. I always triple check the requirements before going to the passport office.