How To Get A Passport For The First Time

Summary: At A Glance

To get a passport for the first time, you'll need the following items:

• A Completed Form DS-11
• Proof of US Citizenship
• Acceptable ID
• Photocopy of ID
• Applicable Fees
• Two Passport Photos Of Yourself

I'll cover each item in detail on this page!

Get Started

To get a passport for the first time, applicants must appear in person at a registered passport facility (often a post office). To get as passort, you must apply in person if any the following criteria fit your situations:

• You are under age 16
• Your previous U.S. passport was issued when you were under age 16
• Your previous U.S. passport was lost, stolen, or damaged
• Your previous U.S. passport was issued more than 15 years ago
• Your name has changed since your U.S. passport was issued and you are unable to legally document your name changed.

Step 1

Complete and fill out Form DS-11: Application For A US Passport.

Important Note!

DO NOT SIGN Form DS-11 until you are instructed to do so at the Acceptance Facility! Fill everything else out, but don't sign it! To get a passport, you must sign the form in front of the worker at the passport facility. They want to make sure it's really YOU applying for this passport!

The form is fairly straightforward and easy to fill out. One of the most common questions about this form is whether you are required to provide your social security number (SSN) to get a passport. The answer is yes, you do. To get a passport for the first time, you MUST provide your SSN when filling out this form.

Step 2

Since you are applying for a U.S. passport in person, you will need to present evidence of your U.S. citizenship at the passport facility. Don't worry - those important documents will be returned to you once your passport application has been processed! These documents will be delivered to you either with your newly issued U.S. passport or in a separate envelope.

Acceptable forms of proof of citizenship include:

• Previously issued, undamaged U.S. Passport
• Certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state
• Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth
• Naturalization Certificate
• Certificate of Citizenship

Step 3

Along with proof of citizenship, you must also present identification. Acceptable forms of identification include:

• Previously issued, undamaged U.S. Passport
• Naturalization Certificate
• Valid Driver's License
• Current Government ID (city, state or federal)
• Current Military ID (military and dependents)

You must provide a copy of your ID for your application. So make a copy of your ID and bring it with you the passport facility.

Step 4

Pay the passport application fees!

First Time Application Fee: $110

Execution Fee: $25

Note: These are two seperate fees. The Application Fee will be mailed in with your application to the DOS. The Execution Fee will be paid to the Passport Facility for the service of processing your application.

Application Fee Payment Methods:

• Personal checks, money orders and bank drafts at all locations, payable to "Department of State"
• Exact cash at some locations (verify with the Acceptance Facility)

Execution Fee (paid seperately):

• Money orders and bank drafts at all locations, payable as instructed by the Acceptance Facility
• Personal checks and exact cash at some locations (verify with the Acceptance Facility)
• Credit cards at U.S. Postal Facilities and some other locations (verify with the Acceptance Facility)

****We used personal checks to pay our fees. We waited to write the checks until we were at the passport facility (our local post office) to make sure we made the execution fee payable to the right person (the post office).

Step 5

To get a passport, you must submit two identical passport photos of yourself. You can have them taken professionally, or do them yourself at home with a good quality digital camera (that's what we did!)

Your photos must meet the following State Department criteria:

• Identical
• Color Photos
• 2 x 2 inches in size
• Taken within the past 6 months, showing current appearance
• Full face, front view with a plain white or off-white background
• Between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head
• Taken in normal street attire
• Uniforms should not be worn in photographs except religious attire that is worn daily
• Do not wear a hat or headgear that obscures the hair or hairline
• If you normally wear prescription glasses, a hearing device, wig or similar articles, they should be worn for your picture. Dark glasses or nonprescription glasses with tinted lenses are not acceptable unless you need them for medical reasons (a medical certificate may be required)

DO NOT staple the photos to your DS-11 form. Since you will be appearing in person, just place the photos in a small envelope and mark them with your name.

Step 6

So you're all ready! You've gathered all the documentation necessary! Let's do a quick double check to make sure you've got it all:

1. Completed Form DS-11 (NOT signed)
2. Proof of US citizenship
3. Acceptable ID (and a copy of it)
4. Appropriate fees (or your checkbook with you so you can write the checks at the passport facility)
5. Two Identical Passport Photos Of Yourself

Congratulations! You are ready to go get a passort! Now, using the State Department's Passport Facility Finder find a passport acceptance facility near you. To get your passport application rolling, find a time that is convenient to you and take all your documents down to the facility for processing! You will sign your DS-11 application in front of a worker and they will take all your documents and mail them to DOS! Within 6 weeks, you will receive your new passport! Also, your original documents will be returned to you.

Passport For Minor Children

How to get a passport for your minor child? Follow the process as outlined above. However, you as the parent/guardian must accompany them to the passport facility to process the application. You must present evidence of your relationship as parent/guardian. Also, if the child is under 16, BOTH parents/guardians must be present at the time of application.

Acceptable Evidence of Relationship Includes:

• Minor's certified U.S. birth certificate with both parents' names
• Minor's certified Foreign Birth Certificate with both parents' names
• Minor's Report of Birth Abroad with both parents' names
• Adoption Decree with adopting parents' names
• Court Order establishing custody
• Court Order establishing guardianship

Both parents must present ID at this time as outlined in Step 3 above.

Go from Get A Passport to Passport Renewal

Go from Get A Passport to Home Page

Copyright 2010-2012
www.China-Adoption-Online.com
All Rights Reserved

SBI!