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EmailFrequently Asked Questions
- 1. I have a life or death emergency overseas and need a passport. What should I do?
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Life or Death Emergencies involve serious illness, injury, or death in your immediate family that require you to travel within 24-48 hours outside the United States. Customers must appear in person at a passport agency for emergency service and documentation of the emergency may be requested.
Please call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 (TTY/TDD 1-888-874-7793) to schedule an appointment at the nearest Passport Agency. Our automated appointment system is accessible every day, 24 hours a day.
If an appointment that will meet your needs is not available and you are calling from 6:00 a.m. to 12 midnight, ET, Monday-Friday, except federal holidays, please stay on the line and follow instructions to speak to a Customer Service Representative (CSR). The CSR will give you guidance on what to do. CSRs are available on weekends for limited hours to assist customers traveling within 7 days.
If an appointment that will meet your needs is not available and you are calling on a federal holiday or during hours the CSRs are not available, please call 202-647-4000 and explain your situation to the operator.
- Back to Top – - 2. I am preparing for official travel. How do I obtain my diplomatic, official or regular no-fee passport?
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The Special Issuance Agency, located in Washington, D.C., issues no-fee passports to citizens traveling abroad for the U.S. Government, their dependents (if permitted to accompany them), and certain others who are exempt by law from payment of the passport fee.
For more information see Diplomatic, Official, and Regular No-Fee Passports
- Back to Top – - 3. What is an E-Passport?
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An Electronic Passport is the same as a traditional passport with the addition of a small integrated circuit (or electronic chip) embedded in the back cover. The chip stores:
- The same data visually displayed on the data page of the passport;
- A biometric identifier in the form of a digital image of the passport photograph, which will facilitate the use of face recognition technology at ports-of-entry;
- The unique chip identification number; and
- A digital signature to protect the stored data from alteration.
- Back to Top – - 4. I am traveling very soon. How do I get a passport in a hurry?
- 5. How long does it take to get a passport?
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Processing times can vary depending on workload and occasional unforeseen circumstances such as natural disasters. During busier times, such as the summer travel season, we encourage customers to expedite their applications if traveling in less than 10 weeks. See Processing Times for more information.
- Back to Top – - 6. Who should maintain a valid U.S. passport?
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Passport Services recommends that the following U.S. citizens maintain valid U.S. passports.... Those
- Those with family living or traveling abroad
- Those thinking about a vacation abroad, or
- Those with a job that could require international travel.
In the event of an emergency involving a family member abroad, a short-notice airfare bargain, or an unexpected business trip, already having a valid U.S. passport will save time, money and stress.
- Back to Top - - 7. How do I replace my damaged/mutilated passport?
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Passports that are mutilated, altered, or damaged are no longer valid for travel. Additionally, altered or mutilated passports are not acceptable as evidence of U.S. citizenship. Please see How to Apply for the First Time (In Person)for instruction on how to replace your damaged passport.
- 8. Where are the instructions for filling out the passport forms?
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Instructions are on the back of the forms.
- Back to Top – - 9. How many blank visa pages do I need to travel?
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Some countries require your passport have two (2) to four (4) blank visa/stamp pages. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met. See Add Extra Pages for how to request more visa pages.
- Back to Top – - 10. How long is a passport valid and when should I renew my passport?
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If you were 16 or Older when the passport was issued, then your passport is valid for 10 Years.
If you were 15 or Younger when the passport was issued, then your passport is valid for 5 Years.
The Issue Date of your passport can be found on the data page of your Passport Book or the front of your Passport Card.
If possible, you should renew your passport approximately nine (9) months before it expires. Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six (6) months beyond the date of your trip. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met.
If your passport has already expired, you may still be able to renew your passport by mail. See How to Renew My Passport.
- 11. I'm renewing my passport. Do I get the old one back?
Yes, we return the old, cancelled passport to you although it may be sent separately from your new passport. It is a good idea to keep it in a safe place as it is considered proof of your identity and U.S. citizenship.
- 12. I was recently married/divorced. How do I change my name on my passport?
You will need to complete DS-5504, U.S. Passport Re-Application Form, within one year of the issuance date of your current valid passport and submit along with the following:
- The same data visually displayed on the data page of the passport;
- The passport to be replaced
- Certified documentation of your name change (e.g., marriage certificate, divorce decree with your new name); and
- Two recent passport photos.
After one year of the issuance date you must submit a DS-82, Application for Passport by Mail, your current passport, certified documentation of your name change, two recent passport photos, and pay all applicable fees.
- 13. Do I have to provide my Social Security Number?
Section 6039E of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 6039E) requires you to provide your Social Security Number (SSN), if you have one, when you apply for a U.S. passport or renewal of a U.S. passport. If you have not been issued a SSN, enter zeros in box #5 of the passport application form you are completing. Contact the Social Security Administration to request a Number. If you are residing abroad, you must also provide the name of the foreign country in which you are residing. The U.S. Department of State must provide your SSN and foreign residence information to the Department of Treasury. If you fail to provide the information, you are subject to a $500 penalty enforced by the IRS. All questions on this matter should be directed to the nearest IRS office.
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- 14. Why a Passport Card?
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The Department of State has developed a Passport Card as a more portable and less expensive alternative to the traditional passport book. The passport card is a basic component of the PASS (People Access Security Service) system announced by Secretaries Rice and Chertoff in January 2006, and will meet the specific requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) to secure and expedite travel. WHTI is the Administration’s plan to implement a provision of the Intelligence Reform Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, which requires citizens of the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda to have a passport or other designated document that establishes the bearer’s identity and nationality to enter or re-enter the United States from Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. According to the Department of Homeland Security, other documents such as registered traveler cards (NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST cards) will be acceptable under WHTI.
- Back to Top - - 15. How did the Department decide on the cost of the Passport Card?
Consular Fees reflect the cost of providing passport services to the American public. Per regulation, the Department of State employs an independent consultant to conduct periodic and regular cost of service studies to determine the cost of providing consular services. The cost of service study indicated that the Department could issue a card for $20 for an adult and $10 for a child. With the execution fee of $25, the total cost for an adult is $45, or 37.5 cents per month over a ten year period.
- Back to Top -- 16. Why is there an execution fee for the Passport and Passport Card?
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First time applicants, minors and those seeking to replace a lost or stolen passport must appear in person before a person authorized by the Secretary of State to give oaths to verify their passport applications. In order to offer American citizens convenient locations to apply for a passport, the Department of State authorizes Passport Acceptance Agents to accept passport applications on its behalf. American citizens can apply at more than 9,000 passport acceptance facilities, most of them with the U.S. Postal Service. Other government facilities include many state, county, township, and municipal offices as well public libraries and public universities. The execution fee is to reimburse the acceptance facility for the cost of the service, which provides an incentive for them to act on behalf of the Department of State. The current cost of the execution is $25 (as of February 1, 2008. The execution fee applies to first-time applicants, children and replacements for lost or stolen passports. Since the execution fee does not apply to applications for renewals, adult passport holders will pay only $20 for the card. Applicants for both book and card pay only one execution fee. - Back to Top -
- 17. Why can’t I use the passport card to fly to Canada and Mexico?
The passport card is designed for the specific needs of border resident communities and is not a globally interoperable travel document as is the traditional passport book. The passport book is the appropriate travel document for most international travel. - Back to Top -
- 18. How secure is the card?
Because the wallet-sized Passport Card does not offer as many opportunities to embed security features as a passport book, the Department has decided to use laser engraving and will include state-of-the-art security features to mitigate against the possibility of counterfeiting and forgery. We are taking every care to ensure that this Passport Card is as secure as current technology permits. There will be no personal information written to the RFID chip.
- Back to Top -- 19. What is RFID Technology?
Radio Frequency Identification technology (RFID) has been used successfully along our land borders with Canada and Mexico since 1995 in the Department of Homeland Security’s trusted traveler programs, such as NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST. U.S. border officials are able to expedite legitimate cross-border travel and trade of those trusted travelers who carry membership cards with vicinity read RFID chips that link to government databases. Membership in these programs currently exceeds 400,000.
RFID technology has been commercially available in one form or another since the 1970s. It can be found in car keys, highway toll tags, bank cards and security access cards. The Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, who staff the ports of entry, anticipate that the speed of vicinity RFID will allow CBP officers, in advance of the traveler’s arrival at the inspection booth, to quickly access information on the traveler from secure government databases, and allow for automated terrorist watch list checks without impeding traffic flow. In addition, they foresee that multiple cards can be read at a distance and simultaneously, allowing an entire car of people to be processed at once.
The RFID technology embedded in documents will not include any personally identifying information; only a unique number that can be associated with a record stored in a secure government database will be transmitted.
- Back to Top -- 20. Has the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) certified the Card Architecture as required by law?
As required by legislation (Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2007, Sect. 546), NIST has reviewed the card architecture of the proposed passport card to be developed by the Department of State in response to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). On May 1, 2007, NIST informed the Departments of State and Homeland Security (DHS) that the proposed card architecture meets or exceeds the relevant international security standards and best practices for the technology that will be included in the card. To accommodate the Department of Homeland Security’s operational needs at the ports of entry, the Department of State passport card will include Generation 2 RFID vicinity read technology. NIST notified Congress on May 3, 2007, that it had certified the security of the card architecture.
- Back to Top -- 21. Is there a threat from skimming personal information or tracking American citizens?
The RFID technology used in the passport card will enable the card to be read at a distance by an authorized CBP reader mounted alongside the traffic lane. The chip contains no biographic data as is the case with the e-passport. The chip will have a unique number linking the card to a secure database maintained by DHS and State. However, to address concerns that passport card bearers can be tracked by this technology, we are requiring that the vendor provide a sleeve that will prevent the card from being read while inside it.
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- 22. My child is too young to sign his/her own passport. How do I sign my child's passport?
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In the space provided for the signature, the mother or father must print the child's name and sign their own name. Then, in parenthesis by the parent's name, write the word (mother) or (father) to show who signed for the child.
- Back to Top - - 23. How do I get information about my child's passport, or, prevent passport issuance to my child?
Parents involved in international custody disputes may receive information about the United States passport of a minor from the Department of State, Passport Services.
For passport assistance for parents and information on International Child Abduction see Passport Assistance – International Child Abduction.
- Back to Top -- 24. Is it true that passport applications for minors under 16 require the consent of both parents or legal guardians?
Effective February 1, 2008, Public Law 106-113, Section 236 requires that U.S. passport applications for children under the age of 16 require both parents' or legal guardians' consent. Read additional information on the Two-Parent Consent Requirement.
- Back to Top -- 25. What is the Children's Passport Issuance Alert Program (CPIAP)?
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Separate from the Two-Parent Consent requirement for U.S. passport issuance for minors under the age of 16, parents may also request that their children's names be entered in the U.S. passport name-check system. The Children's Passport Issuance Alert Program provides:
- Notification to parents of passport applications made on behalf of minor children, and
- Denial of passport issuance if appropriate court orders are on file with CPIAP.
For more information, contact the Office of Children's Issues at 202-736-9156, or, by fax at 202-736-9133. Go to more information on the Office of Children's Issues.
- Back to Top - - 26. What should I do if my baby is born abroad?
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As U.S. citizen parent(s), you should report your child's birth abroad as soon as possible to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate to establish an official record of the child's claim to U.S. citizenship at birth. The official record will be the Consular Report of Birth of a Citizen of the United States of America, Form FS-240. This document, know as the Consular Report of Birth Abroad , is a basic United States citizenship document. An original FS-240 document will be given to you at the time registration is approved. ( We have more information on these documents. )
A Consular Report of Birth can only be prepared at a U.S. embassy or consulate. It cannot be prepared if the child has been brought back into the United States, or, if the person is 18 years of age or older at the time the application is made.
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- 27. How do I get a certified copy of my birth certificate?
Contact the Vital Statistics office in the state where you were born.
- 28. I was born abroad. How do I get a birth certificate proving my U.S. citizenship?
If one or both of your parents was a U.S. citizen when you were born abroad, your parent(s) should have registered your birth at a U.S. embassy or consulate, and, received a Consular Report of Birth Abroad , Form FS-240. This form is acceptable legal proof of birth and U.S. citizenship.
We have information about how to request a certified copy of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad.
- Back to Top -- 29. What do I do if there is no birth record on file for me?
If you were born in the U.S. and there is no birth record on file, you will need several different documents to substantiate your citizenship. You will need:
- A letter from the Vital Statistics office of the state of your birth with your name and what years were searched for your birth record.
- An official of the Vital Statistics office needs to issue a letter of no record found.
If you were born outside the U.S. and your U.S. parent(s) did not register your birth at the U.S. embassy or consulate, you may apply for a U.S. passport.You will need:
- Your foreign birth certificate that includes your parents' names;
- Evidence of your parent(s) U.S. citizenship; and
- Your parents' marriage certificate.
- 30. How do I obtain copies of a previous passport application?
For information on how to obtain copies of your passport records see Obtain Copies of Passport Records.
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- 31. I am an Acceptance Agent. What is the most current version of the PARG?
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The current version of the PARG on CD is February 2008.
This is information for Passport Acceptance Agents. Information on how to find a passport acceptance facility can be found at Where to Apply in the U.S.
- 32. I am a Travel Agent. Where can I obtain passport information for my customers?
Does your travel agency/service have a homepage?
Why not add a hotlink to travel.state.gov to ensure that your on-line customers can directly connect to us for official requirements, downloadable application forms, where to conveniently apply, and a wealth of other passport and international travel information! Help us help your customers! See our Travel Agents Homepage for more information.
- Back to Top -- 33. I am a Professional Photographer. Where can I obtain information on taking passport photos?
Technological advances have changed the way passport and visa photos may be taken and the way that the U.S. Department of State processes the photos. See our Guide for Professional Photographers designed to help photographers ensure that:
- Customers are accurately represented and
- Photos are free of common defects that cause delays
(http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/guide/guide_2081.html)
- Back to Top -- 34. How do I order applications in bulk?
Bulk quantities of passport forms DS-11 (Application for Passport) and DS-82 (Application for Passport by Mail) are now available from the U.S. Government Printing Office.
For more information on how to order applications in bulk see How to Obtain Bulk Quantities of Passport Applications.
