When travelling abroad from United States, you need to have a valid passport issued by competent authority. While travelling to international destination all need to be in possession of their own passport including infant and newborns. There are special requirement for for minor aged under 16 & 17 years as well as those applicants who apply from outside the United States of America (USA). While applying for the passport you will be required to submit the duly filled DS-11 application form along with necessary documents, photo, fee, evidence relationship certificate, guardian or parents ID etc.
- It takes 4-6 weeks for processing the application form submitted through Routine Service and 2-3 weeks for Expedited Service.
- You can schedule an appointment by calling 1-877-487-2778. This number can be used 24×7 for scheduling appointment.
- Completed application form can is to be submitted with Acceptance Facility
Different Types of Forms Used for Passport
- DS-11 : It is an application form for Adult/Minor for Passport Book / Card
- DS-82 : It is used for paying renewal fee
- DS-4085 : It is used for adding an extra page to an existing passport
- DS-5505 : It is data error correction form used for removing any error such as typo or any other such error
If you are applying from outside US then you must submit your application form the US Embassy or Consulate.
Fee Payment
There are different fee for book and card. Fee for services can be checked from the official website. Fee for passport can be paid through Credit Card, Debit Card, Check Card, Money Order, Drafts, Checks and cash at some locations. VISA, American, MasterCard and Discover credit card are accepted for making payment.
There are also No-Fee Passport issued to officials and diplomats travelling abroad for discharge of duties. No fee passport is used for official purpose only and for personal travel, you are required to carry your regular fee passport.
Online Application Status
5-7 days after submission of completed application form you can check the status of your passport by visiting the website of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, United State Department of State.
To enquire online about the status of your passport you will need to enter the the following details.
- Last Name
- Date of Birth in MM/DD/YYYY format
- Last four digit of your SSN
Click Here to Check Your Passport Status. Before you can reach the web page for checking the status you will be required to read the “Privacy and Computer Fraud and Abuse Acts Notices and Disclaimers.” and after clicking the appropriate check box and hitting the submit button will take you to the online status web page where you will be required to enter the details mentioned above.
While entering your last name you must include suffix and appropriate hyphen. You must fill the Date of Birth in correct form and your Social Security Number (SSN) last four digit in the relevant column.