Passports

Applying for a Passport in Person

The information on this page applies to minors age 16 and over, adults applying for their first passport, persons who cannot produce a full validity passport issued after age 16 and any others who need to apply in person. If you are not sure which application method to use, please use this one.

Here's what you'll need.

Appointment
Please make an appointment. All services are provided by appointment only. Appointments are made online. Make Appointment!

Personal Appearance
Minors age 16 and over do not need to be accompanied by a parent.

Passport Application (DS-11)
Please submit one copy of Form DS-11, available for download. Though the instructions for world-wide use say only 8.5" x 11" paper is acceptable, we can accept A4 sized copies if you print it out at home.

You will need to use free Acrobat software to view and print this form. You can download the software.

Your Old Passport as Proof of Citizenship
For most people, your old US passport, even if it is recently expired, is proof of your identity and US citizenship. We will cancel your old passport and return it to you the same day you apply.

For first-time applicants, citizenship is proven through an official birth certificate or naturalization/citizenship certificate, or a Consular Report of Birth. All documents must be originals. Follow this link to learn how to obtain a copy of your birth certificate.

U.S. Military orders and/or military ID are not acceptable proof of American Citizenship.

If you are age 16 or over and renewing an existing passport that you can present to us at the time of application, you do not need to present other proof of citizenship or a birth certificate. The old passport is your proof.

Two Identical Photos
Unacceptable photos are the number one cause for delays in our processing your passport.

The photos must be 2" X 2" (5 cm X 5 cm) with a white background.

Please be careful with the size-- "passport photos" you get at a local photographer's shop are often too small and are intended for Hong Kong people to use to obtain a Hong Kong passport. The photo in your current US passport may be a different size from what is needed for a new passport, as standards have changed from time-to-time.

Here's what your photo should look like:

The photo must be 2 inches by 2 inches with the face size as specified. Your browser may not display the graphic above as the right size.

Fee
The fee for a replacement passport is US$100 (HK$800) for adults and US$85 (HK$680) for under ages 16.

We accept US or HK dollars, or VISA, Mastercard, Discover, Diners Club or American Express card.

How Long Does it Take?
Once we have everything we need, processing time is normally about 10 days. However, because computers break and typhoons happen, please don't make any unchangeable travel plans until you have the new passport in hand. We'll mail the completed passport to you.

 

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Last modified: September 17, 2008