Passports
How Do We Get Passports?
General Information
Here you will find the basic information that hopefully will help streamline the procedure to obtain
a Passport. Coming up later down this page are Step-by-Step instructions that will work for most
people, to apply for the first time to receive a Passport.
For your information, the main website from the U.S. State Department, that covers information on
Passports can be found at:
http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
Feel free to take a look at this website if you need additional information.
To find the location of the nearest office where one can apply for a Passport,
go to http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/ and enter your zip code. It will show you the closest offices where
you can apply for a Passport. Actually, they don’t call these places a Passport Office, they call them
an “Acceptance Facility.”
Step-by-Step instructions on how to get a Passport for Minors under age 16 can be found at
this web page:
http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/get/minors/minors_834.html
How Long Does It Take to Receive a Passport After Applying?
It typically takes about 4-6 weeks processing for either a Passport Card or the more
traditional Passport Book.
It is recommended that if you are planning on going to Canada during the Newhouse Family Reunion,
you start now to work on getting the necessary Passports, because you may find you need to gather
birth certificates and other required documents before you can even start the Passport process.
There Are 2 Types of Passports
We are all familiar with the booklet-style U.S. Passport. Those are still around, and the booklet
Passport is the main, fully-privileged Passport for U.S. citizens.
However, a couple of years ago, the State Department made available a “Passport Card.” These cards
were initially developed for the convenience of U.S. citizens who lived near the international borders
of the U.S., who had frequent travel back and forth across the border. However, any citizen can obtain
and use a Passport Card—you don’t have to live next to the border to qualify. The Passport card is
less expensive, and is a little more convenient, but it has some limitations. Here are the details:
PASSPORT BOOKS (the traditional-style Passport):
Passport Books are valid for any international travel. They can be obtained for both adults and children.
Passport Books are valid for 10 years for adults (age 16
and over), and valid for 5 years for minors (under age 16).
The cost for new Passport Books is as follows:
For First Time Applicants:
--$135 for adults
--$105 for minors under age 16
Cost for Renewal of a Passport:
--$110 for adults
PASSPORT CARDS:
Passport Cards are less expensive than regular Passport
Books, but they have some travel limitations. Passport
Cards can be used to enter the USA only from certain
countries: Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda
only. They cannot be used for travel to any other areas.
Also, Passport Cards are only valid for travel by land or sea.
They are not valid for travel by air. To travel to any other
areas or to travel internationally by air, one must have the traditional Passport Book.
The cost for Passport cards is as follows:
Adults (age 16 and older): For a first time applicant, a Passport Card costs $55, and is good
for 10 years.
For minors (under age 16): A Passport Card costs $40 and is good for 5 years.
The cost to Renew a Passport Card: $30 for Adults
Note: A person can apply for both a Passport book and a Passport card at the same time:
The cost for that combination is $165 for adults, and $120 for minors under 16.
Where Do I Start? How Do I Get a Passport?
Simple 3 Step Overview of the Procedure:
Just to give a rough overview of how it's done, here is the basic procedure in 3 simple steps:
Step 1. Fill out Form DS-11
Step 2. Take your completed Form DS-11 in person to a Passport Acceptance Facility near
you, along with the following documentation:
a. Evidence of U.S. Citizenship (such as a Certified Birth Certificate)
b. A form of Identification (such as a Drivers License)
c. A photocopy of your Identification
d. A Passport Photo
e. Money for your Passport Fee
Step 3. Wait for your Passport to arrive in the mail.
Details of the Step-by-Step Process
Now, here are the details on the Step-by-Step Process for a typical First Time Adult Applicant:
1. Fill out Form DS-11 (“Application For a U.S. Passport”)
a. Where do you get a Form DS-11? Go to this webpage:
http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds11/ds11_842.html
At that webpage you can fill out the form online then print out the completed form, or you can print
a blank form to fill out by hand.
Alternatively, you can go to the nearest Passport Office (“Acceptance Facility”) and pick up a
blank DS-11 form that you can fill out by hand.
b. Don’t sign the form until you take it to the Passport Office (which is officially called an
“Acceptance Facility”). They will have you sign it there.
c. Whether you are applying for a regular Passport Book, or for a Passport Card, for either one you
start by filling out the same form, the DS-11— if this is your first time to apply for a Passport.
2. Submit Form DS-11 in person at a Passport Acceptance Facility
a. To locate the closest “Acceptance Facility” for you, enter your zip code at http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/
b. Be aware that there are special requirements for All Minors under age 16 who apply for a Passport.
Those requirements can be found at this web site:
http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/get/minors/minors_834.html
3. When you go to the Acceptance Facility to submit your completed DS-11
form, use this handy checklist and take the following things with you:
CHECKLIST:
Evidence of U.S. Citizenship
Identification, which can be one of the following:
Along with the Identification you submit, you must also submit one photocopy of that
same Identification.
sides of your identification--both the front and back—copied onto a single sheet of paper
One Passport Photo
http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/pptphotoreq/pptphotoreq_5333.html
Money for your Passport Fee: (see above for fees)
4. That’s It!! You’re done, and now you wait for your new
Passport to arrive!!
Need More Information on Passports?
If you have any questions about getting a Passport, try this web site:
http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
Or, if you need to talk to someone in person, you can contact the closest Passport Acceptance Facility
(which is where you go to turn in your paperwork), or you can call one of the regional Passport
Agencies—you can find a list of the Passport Agencies at this web page:
http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/npic/agencies/agencies_913.html
General Information
Here you will find the basic information that hopefully will help streamline the procedure to obtain
a Passport. Coming up later down this page are Step-by-Step instructions that will work for most
people, to apply for the first time to receive a Passport.
For your information, the main website from the U.S. State Department, that covers information on
Passports can be found at:
http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
Feel free to take a look at this website if you need additional information.
To find the location of the nearest office where one can apply for a Passport,
go to http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/ and enter your zip code. It will show you the closest offices where
you can apply for a Passport. Actually, they don’t call these places a Passport Office, they call them
an “Acceptance Facility.”
Step-by-Step instructions on how to get a Passport for Minors under age 16 can be found at
this web page:
http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/get/minors/minors_834.html
How Long Does It Take to Receive a Passport After Applying?
It typically takes about 4-6 weeks processing for either a Passport Card or the more
traditional Passport Book.
It is recommended that if you are planning on going to Canada during the Newhouse Family Reunion,
you start now to work on getting the necessary Passports, because you may find you need to gather
birth certificates and other required documents before you can even start the Passport process.
There Are 2 Types of Passports
We are all familiar with the booklet-style U.S. Passport. Those are still around, and the booklet
Passport is the main, fully-privileged Passport for U.S. citizens.
However, a couple of years ago, the State Department made available a “Passport Card.” These cards
were initially developed for the convenience of U.S. citizens who lived near the international borders
of the U.S., who had frequent travel back and forth across the border. However, any citizen can obtain
and use a Passport Card—you don’t have to live next to the border to qualify. The Passport card is
less expensive, and is a little more convenient, but it has some limitations. Here are the details:
PASSPORT BOOKS (the traditional-style Passport):
Passport Books are valid for any international travel. They can be obtained for both adults and children.
Passport Books are valid for 10 years for adults (age 16
and over), and valid for 5 years for minors (under age 16).
The cost for new Passport Books is as follows:
For First Time Applicants:
--$135 for adults
--$105 for minors under age 16
Cost for Renewal of a Passport:
--$110 for adults
PASSPORT CARDS:
Passport Cards are less expensive than regular Passport
Books, but they have some travel limitations. Passport
Cards can be used to enter the USA only from certain
countries: Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda
only. They cannot be used for travel to any other areas.
Also, Passport Cards are only valid for travel by land or sea.
They are not valid for travel by air. To travel to any other
areas or to travel internationally by air, one must have the traditional Passport Book.
The cost for Passport cards is as follows:
Adults (age 16 and older): For a first time applicant, a Passport Card costs $55, and is good
for 10 years.
For minors (under age 16): A Passport Card costs $40 and is good for 5 years.
The cost to Renew a Passport Card: $30 for Adults
Note: A person can apply for both a Passport book and a Passport card at the same time:
The cost for that combination is $165 for adults, and $120 for minors under 16.
Where Do I Start? How Do I Get a Passport?
Simple 3 Step Overview of the Procedure:
Just to give a rough overview of how it's done, here is the basic procedure in 3 simple steps:
Step 1. Fill out Form DS-11
Step 2. Take your completed Form DS-11 in person to a Passport Acceptance Facility near
you, along with the following documentation:
a. Evidence of U.S. Citizenship (such as a Certified Birth Certificate)
b. A form of Identification (such as a Drivers License)
c. A photocopy of your Identification
d. A Passport Photo
e. Money for your Passport Fee
Step 3. Wait for your Passport to arrive in the mail.
Details of the Step-by-Step Process
Now, here are the details on the Step-by-Step Process for a typical First Time Adult Applicant:
1. Fill out Form DS-11 (“Application For a U.S. Passport”)
a. Where do you get a Form DS-11? Go to this webpage:
http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds11/ds11_842.html
At that webpage you can fill out the form online then print out the completed form, or you can print
a blank form to fill out by hand.
Alternatively, you can go to the nearest Passport Office (“Acceptance Facility”) and pick up a
blank DS-11 form that you can fill out by hand.
b. Don’t sign the form until you take it to the Passport Office (which is officially called an
“Acceptance Facility”). They will have you sign it there.
c. Whether you are applying for a regular Passport Book, or for a Passport Card, for either one you
start by filling out the same form, the DS-11— if this is your first time to apply for a Passport.
2. Submit Form DS-11 in person at a Passport Acceptance Facility
a. To locate the closest “Acceptance Facility” for you, enter your zip code at http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/
b. Be aware that there are special requirements for All Minors under age 16 who apply for a Passport.
Those requirements can be found at this web site:
http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/get/minors/minors_834.html
3. When you go to the Acceptance Facility to submit your completed DS-11
form, use this handy checklist and take the following things with you:
CHECKLIST:
Evidence of U.S. Citizenship
- Generally, a “Certified Birth Certificate” is all most people will need as evidence of U.S. Citizenship.
However, if such a Birth Certificate is not available, check this web page for other documents you
- To see if the Birth Certificate you have meets the requirements of a “Certified Birth Certificate,”
Identification, which can be one of the following:
- A Previous passport
- Valid Driver’s License
- Naturalization Certificate
- Current Government ID
- Current Military ID
Along with the Identification you submit, you must also submit one photocopy of that
same Identification.
- The front and back of your Identification must be photocopied. The photocopies must be on
sides of your identification--both the front and back—copied onto a single sheet of paper
One Passport Photo
- Do not attach the photo to the Forms you are bringing in—it must be separate. Passport
http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/pptphotoreq/pptphotoreq_5333.html
Money for your Passport Fee: (see above for fees)
4. That’s It!! You’re done, and now you wait for your new
Passport to arrive!!
Need More Information on Passports?
If you have any questions about getting a Passport, try this web site:
http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
Or, if you need to talk to someone in person, you can contact the closest Passport Acceptance Facility
(which is where you go to turn in your paperwork), or you can call one of the regional Passport
Agencies—you can find a list of the Passport Agencies at this web page:
http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/npic/agencies/agencies_913.html
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Copyright 2012.
All rights reserved.
All rights reserved.