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UNITED
STATES' PASSPORTS AND CITIZENSHIP DOCUMENTS
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS:
Where
do I get a passport application?
Where are the instructions
for filling out the passport forms?
Instructions are on the front of the electronic passport application
, or on the back of the regular forms.
I
have a life or death emergency. What should I do?
Life or Death Emergencies involve serious illness, injury, or death
in your immediate family that require you to travel within 24-48 hours
to a country that requires a passport. Customers should contact
our office for an expedited service at 713-527-0470.
I
am traveling very soon. How do I get a passport in a hurry?
TDP Passport Services provides expedited service within 24 to 72 hours.
My
child is under 16 years of age and needs a passport. How do I get it?
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If
your child is:
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Then....
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Under
14
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- Your
child must appear in person.
- Both
parents and legal guardians can apply for your child.
- Both
parents and legal guardians consent is required for minors
under age 14. 14. ( See
Two-Parent Consent Requirements
.)
- Both
parents and legal guardians must show current, valid ID.
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14
to 16
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- Your
child must appear in person.
- Your
parental consent may be requested.
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Is it true that passport applications for minors under 14 require the consent
of both parents and legal guardians?
Effective July 2, 2001, Public Law 106-113, Section 236 requires
that U.S. passport applications for children under the age of 14 require
both parents' or legal guardians' consent. Read
additional information on the Two-Parent Consent Requirement.
What
is the Children's Passport Issuance Alert Program (CPIAP)?
Separate from the Two-Parent Consent requirement for U.S. passport
issuance for minors under the age of 14, 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 202-736-7000, or, by fax
at 202-312-9743. Go
to more information on the Office of Children's Issues.
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
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 Renewal, your current passport,
certified documentation of your name change, two recent passport photos,
and pay all applicable fees.
My
passport was lost/stolen. How do I report it? And how do I get a
replacement apssport?
Please apply for a new passport immediately. You may report your lost
or stolen passport when you apply for the new one. Along with your application,
you must submit the Statement
Regarding Lost or Stolen Passport, Form DS-64.
If you decide not to apply for a new passport immediately, report your
lost or stolen passport by completing Form
DS-64 and mailing it to:
US
Department of State
Passport Services
Consular Lost/Stolen Passport Section
1111 19th Street, NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036
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.
What
should I do if my baby is born abroad?
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.
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.
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. In addition, you will need early public records to prove your birth
in the U.S. 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;
and Evidence of your parent(s) U.S. citizenship; and your parents'
marriage certificate.
I'm
renewing my passport. Do I get the old one back?
Yes, we return the old, cancelled passport to you. It is a good idea
to keep it in a safe place as it is considered proof of your U.S. citizenship.
My
child is too young to sign his/her own passport. How do I sign my
child's passport?
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) so we know
who signed for the child.
How
do I find out about the status of my passport application?
Go to www.travel.state.gov. If
you submit your application through our agancey (TDP Passport Services),
no need to worry about that. We keep track of the application from start
to finish, have the passport picked up and delivered to you within 24
to 72 hours after the passport is issued.
How do I get a certified copy of my birth certificate?
Contact the
Vital Statistics office in the state where you were born.
How
long is a passport valid and when should I renew my passport?
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If
you were ____ when the passport was issued
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Then
your passport is valid for
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16
or Older
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10
Years
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15
or Younger
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5
Years
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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 dates of your trip. Some
airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met.
Who
should maintain a valid U.S. passport?
Passport Services recommends that the following U.S. citizens maintain
valid U.S. passports.... Those
- with
family living or traveling abroad
- thinking
about a vacation abroad, or
- 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.
What
if there is an error in the passport I just received?
The Passport Agency apologizes for the error in your passport. In
order to correct the error as quickly as possible, please submit the following:
- The
passport to be replaced;
- A
completed DS-5504,
Passport Re-Application Form;
- Two
new photographs; and
- Evidence
to document the correct information, such as a certified birth certificate,
previous U.S. passport, certified marriage certificate, or naturalization/citizenship
certificate.
How many blank
visa pages do I need to travel?
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 in not met. See Add
Extra Pages for how to request more visa pages.
How
long does it take to get a passport?
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 8 weeks.
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 by the IRS.
How
many passport photos are required to be submitted with the application?
Two (2) identical (2x2) photos must be submitted with the passport
application.
What
type of paper are the photographs to be printed on?
The photos should be printed on thin photo-quality paper.
Do
the photos have to be in color?
Yes, the photos must be in color.
How
recent must the photos be?
The photos must be no older than 6 months.
How
big must the photos be?
The photos must measure exactly 2 inches by 2 inches.
What
pose should the photos show?
The photo should show a clear, front view, full face of the customer.
The customer should be in normal street attire, without hat or dark glasses
against a plain white or off-white background. The customer should have
a natural expression, mouth closed, and eyes open and looking directly
ahead. Photos in which the face of the person being photographed is not
in focus will not be accepted.
How
big should the head be in the photo?
The customer’s head, measured from the bottom of the chin to
the top of the hair, should be between 1 inch and 1-3/8 inches. The head
should be centered in the photo. The head of the person being photographed
should not be tilted up, down or to the side. It should cover about 50%
of the area of the photo.
Can
hats or religious head dresses be worn for the photo?
Unless worn daily for religious reasons, all hats or headgear should
be removed. In all cases, no item or attire should cover or otherwise
obscure any part of the face.
Can
eyeglasses be worn for the photo?
Eyeglasses worn on a daily basis can be worn for the photo. However,
there should be no glare or reflections from the eyeglasses that obscure
the eyes.
Can
sunglasses or tinted glasses be worn?
Dark glasses or nonprescription glasses with tinted lenses are not
acceptable unless you need them for medical reasons. A medical certificate
may be required.
Can
work uniforms be worn for the photo?
Uniforms should not be worn in photographs except in the case of religious
attire that is worn daily. Otherwise, normal street attire should be worn.
Can
a parent or guardian appear in the photo of a minor child?
No, the minor child must be the only subject in the photo. Nothing
used to support the minor child, whether by mechanical or human means,
should be in the camera’s frame.
Are
photos that are copied from recent driver licenses or other official documents
acceptable?
No, only original photographs are acceptable. Copied or digitally
scanned photos will not be accepted.
Are
snapshots, magazine photos, or photos from vending machine acceptable?
No, snapshots, magazine photos, most vending machine prints, or full-length
photographs are not acceptable.
May photos be taken
with a digital camera?
If the digital camera has sufficient resolution, capable of capturing
and storing images with 1 million pixels (megapixels) or higher. However,
printing digital images is best done by professional photography processing
labs because many off-the-shelf digital printers cannot achieve the image-quality
required for passports and visas.
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