Make Certain You Have All The Feaures You Would Like For Your Own Passport Application   by Ben Pate

in Travel / Travel Tips    (submitted 2011-05-11)

There are many documents that you need to submit along with your US passport application. Form DS-11 is the required form and must be submitted to obtain the document. It should be used if you have not ever received one or if it has been more than 15 years since you received your U. S. Passport.

Download a copy of the application, DS-11, from the Internet or get a copy from a local facility or agency for your replacement United States passport. The application packet cannot be mailed in because you must sign it in front of officials. It will be invalidated if you sign it at home.

All of the paperwork is to be given to a passport agency or acceptance facility. Facilities include local post offices, the county clerk of the court or public libraries. They are given the authority to accept applications and to verify you are the person who signed the document. Agencies are located in large cities and are regional offices that can accept the paperwork and process it.

Expediting companies are licensed to accept and process your application as well as to hand-deliver it to the local Agency for same-day processing. The number of applications that can be processed in this way is limited so it may take longer than one day to complete. There is a cost associated with expediting companies. Make sure to confirm the cost, since same-day service can be quite expensive.

The most important proof that you need to provide is your primary evidence of U. S. citizenship. Submit an old passport or a certified birth certificate. If the birth certificate is used, make sure it contains the names of both of your parents. There are other documents that can provide the necessary information, including a certificate of citizenship. Check online or with local offices for more options. You will get your original proof documents back when your passport is sent to you, although it may come under separate cover.

You must submit present identification to prove that you are the person submitting the form. You can include a U. S. Passport that has expired, a driver's license or military ID. Since some forms of ID must be retained by their owner, you can submit a photocopy of both front and back in lieu of the document. The original document, however, must be provided at the time you sign your form.

When primary identification is from another state, another form, secondary identification, must be provided. It must include your personal information including name, date of birth and date of issuance. This must be copied along with the primary identification.

When disabled people need to obtain a travel document, they can assign a caregiver to complete the transaction for them. Specific forms are required and the disabled person's signature must be witnessed. If the caregiver is signing for the disabled person, another form is required. In each case, acceptable identification must be provided by the caregiver and photocopied for inclusion in the packet of information.

About the Author

Include a two-inch by two-inch photograph of the applicant, in color, when submitting the pass port application. Since it will be used to create the replacement U S passport, the photograph should not be attached in any way. There are several specific requirements for the photograph and they all need to be followed. Check to make sure yours meets the rules. When all of the documentation has been signed and submitted, the fees associated with the travel document must be paid.