A Guide to US Passport Applications & Renewals

The below is a quick and dirty summary of how to get and renew a US passport, along with my personal perspectives on processing a passport, renewing it, and adding pages.  This is largely a redux of the US State Department’s intuitive, well-designed website related to US Passports.

Before I dive in, I’ll say this:  most people are most concerned with two issues (and two issues only) related to getting a passport:

• How much does it cost?
• How long does it take?

Here are the quick answers, if you don’t care to read on further:  as of mid-2015, applying for a new or renewed US Passport generally takes between 3-6 weeks of processing time and costs between $110 and $209.85 US, not including outbound shipping of application materials and documentation.

The below is my 2015 US Passport guide to:

• Applying for your first US Passport (Through A Passport Acceptance Facility)
• Renewing your US Passport (By Mail)
• Passport Application/Renewal in person at a Passport Agency Location
• Adding Visa Pages to a US Passport at Time of Application (adding pages later is no longer possible)
• Differences Between the US Passport Book and the US Passport Card
• Getting Passport Photos Taken / Shooting Your Own Passport Photos

Again, don’t live and die by this post – check the US State Department’s website for full details on passport applications and renewals.

APPLYING FOR YOUR FIRST US PASSPORT

Getting your first US Passport will require application in person at a either a a Passport Acceptance Facility, or a Department of State Passport Agency.

Most people generally apply at a Passport Acceptance Facility, because Passport Acceptance Facilities are more common and more easily accessed than Department of State Passport Agencies (which are only located in certain cities).

Applications submitted through Department of State Passport Agencies take considerably less time to process (these can even be as fast as SAME-DAY) but the process is more complicated.  I’ll cover that in a below section.

VALIDITY OF YOUR FIRST PASSPORT:

US Passports for adults are valid for 10 years.  Passports for minors under the age of 16 are valid for five years.

PROCESSING TIMES:

Applications submitted through Passport Acceptance Facilities usually take 4-6 weeks for “Routine” processing times, and 3 weeks for “Expedited” processing.

Note:  In my experience, I’ve found processing times to be relatively accurate – and most friends passports have shown up slightly EARLIER than the noted timeframes.  Despite this, I almost always recommend paying for expedited processing if your upcoming travel is within two months.  The small additional fee you pay is WELL worth the reduced stress of knowing that your passport is being fast-tracked a bit.

FEES:

For processing your first passport, you should expect to spend no less than $135.00 US, and no more than $209.85.

$135.00 US will pay for a Passport Book with standard processing times (4-6 weeks) and standard delivery back to you.  $209.85 will pay for a Passport Book expedited processing (3 weeks) and overnight delivery back to you.  Note that I do NOT think a “Passport Card” is necessary nor useful for most travelers.  More on that later.

Here’s how costs break out:

“SLOWER”:  FEES FOR ROUTINE PROCESSING WITH STANDARD DELIVERY

• Passport Book:  $110.00
• Standard Processing:  $0.00
• Standard Delivery:  $0.00
• Execution Fee:  $25.00
• TOTAL:  $135.00 (not including outbound shipping)

“FASTER”:  FEES FOR EXPEDITED PROCESSING WITH OVERNIGHT DELIVERY

• Passport Book:  $110.00
• Expedited Processing:  $60.00
• Overnight Delivery:  $14.85
• Execution Fee:  $25.00
• TOTAL:  $209.85 (not including outbound shipping)

WHAT MATERIALS YOU’LL NEED IN ORDER TO APPLY:

To apply for your passport via a Passport Acceptance Facility, you’ll need to gather all the following materials in order to present them.  Note that these guidelines apply to ADULTS, not minors under the age of 16.

1. Fill out and submit Form DS-11: Application for a US Passport
2. Provide evidence of US citizenship in ONE of the following forms:
   1. a certified US birth certificate (photocopies/notarized copies UNACCEPTABLE – you’ll need the real thing)
   2. consular report of birth abroad or certification of birth
   3. naturalization certificate
   4. certificate of citizenship
   5. If all of the above are impossible to provide, check the US State Dept’s guide to “Secondary Evidence of US Citizenship“
3. Present acceptable PHOTO IDENTIFICATION in one of the following forms:
   • Previously-issued, undamaged U.S. passport
   • Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship
   • Fully-valid Driver’s License
   • Current Government ID (city, state or federal)
   • Current Military ID (military and dependents)
   • If all of the above are impossible to provide, check the US State Dept’s guide to “Secondary Evidence of Identification“
4. Submit a photocopy of Identification Documents presented in Step #3.  Do this on white 8.5″ x 11″ paper, with images on only one side of the paper.  Multiple copy pages are acceptable in order to show the front and back of the ID.
5. Include payment of the applicable fee for renewal, payable by check (personal, certified, cashiers, travelers), payable to “U.S. Department of State”.
6. Provide one passport photo.  See requirements here.

A RECOMMENDATION:  ADD’L PASSPORT VISA PAGES FOR FREE AT TIME OF APPLICATION

When you apply for your passport, you can request additional visa pages beyond the normal passport book size for FREE when you apply.

Usual passports are 28 page documents which include 17 blank visa pages.  Passports with additional pages are 52 page documents which include 43 blank visa pages.  More pages mean a slightly thicker passport book, but it also means more room for visas if you find yourself traveling a ton.

HOW TO REQUEST A 52-PAGE PASSPORT BOOK AT TIME OF APPLICATION:

Tick the ’52 page’ box at the top of the passport application when applying for a passport.  There’s no guarantee that the State Dept will grant you the additional pages at time of application, but you might as well try while it’s free and easy to do so!

ADDING PAGES TO YOUR PASSPORT LATER:

Note that adding pages to your US passport is no longer possible as of January 1, 2016.  Make sure to request a 52-page booklet at application time.

RENEWING YOUR US PASSPORT

Renewing a US Passport is quite similar to getting your first passport, with a few minor changes.  Biggest change:  you can renew by MAIL instead of visiting a Passport Acceptance Facility (note that you can also renew at a Passport Agency if necessary).

RENEWED PASSPORT VALIDITY:

Renewed US Passports are valid for ten years, same as your first passport.

PROCESSING TIMES:

4-6 weeks for “Routine” processing times, and 3 weeks for “Expedited” processing.

FEES:

For processing a renewed passport by mail, you should expect to spend no less than $110.00 US, and no more than about $184.85.

$110 will pay for a Passport Book with standard processing times (4-6 weeks) and standard delivery back to you.  $184.85 will pay for a Passport Book expedited processing (3 weeks) and overnight delivery back to you.  Note that I do NOT think a “Passport Card” is necessary nor useful for most travelers.  More on that later.

Here’s how costs break out:

“SLOWER”:  FEES FOR ROUTINE PROCESSING WITH STANDARD DELIVERY

• Passport Book:  $110.00
• Standard Processing:  $0.00
• Standard Delivery:  $0.00
• TOTAL:  $110.00 (not including outbound shipping)

“FASTER”:  FEES FOR EXPEDITED PROCESSING WITH OVERNIGHT DELIVERY

• Passport Book:  $110.00
• Expedited Processing:  $60.00
• Overnight Delivery:  $14.85
• TOTAL:  $184.85 (not including outbound shipping)

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAIL IN:

Full instructions for renewing your passport by mail are HERE at the US State Dept’s website.  I recommend you visit their site for current instructions, just in case anything’s changed since I last updated this page.  To quickly summarize what you’ll need to collect and complete to renew your US Passport, per State Dept instructions, get the following things together and ready them for mailing in the same envelope:

Note that these guidelines apply to ADULTS, not minors under the age of 16.

1. Complete Form DS-82
2. Submit your most recent US passport.  Not a copy of your passport – the real thing.  It can be current or expired.
3. Include payment of the applicable fee for renewal, payable by check (personal, certified, cashiers, travelers), payable to “U.S. Department of State”.
4. IF APPLICABLE:  submit a certified copy of your marriage certificate or court order if your name has changed
5. Provide one passport photo.  See requirements here.

MAILING YOUR DOCUMENTS AND PAYMENT:

I highly HIGHLY recommend sending these items by a TRACKABLE shipping method.  I personally almost always use FedEx, but UPS or United States Postal Service will also work.  Just make sure you get a TRACKING NUMBER for your shipment, so you can confirm that the package arrives at its destination.

A RECOMMENDATION:  ADD’L PASSPORT VISA PAGES FOR FREE AT TIME OF APPLICATION

When you renew your passport, you can request additional visa pages beyond the normal passport book size for FREE at application time.

Usual passports are 28 page documents which include 17 blank visa pages.  Passports with additional pages are 52 page documents which include 43 blank visa pages.  More pages mean a slightly thicker passport book, but it also means more room for visas if you find yourself traveling a ton.

HOW TO REQUEST A 52-PAGE PASSPORT BOOK AT TIME OF APPLICATION:

Tick the ’52 page’ box at the top of the passport application when applying for a passport.  There’s no guarantee that the State Dept will grant you the additional pages at time of application, but you might as well try while it’s free and easy to do so!

ADDING PAGES TO YOUR PASSPORT LATER:

Note that adding pages to your US passport is no longer possible as of January 1, 2016.  Make sure to request a 52-page booklet at application time.

PASSPORT APPLICATION/RENEWAL THROUGH A PASSPORT AGENCY

Again, as I said above, most people apply for or renew their passports via a Passport Acceptance Facility (in the case of a first passport) or via mail (in the case of a renewed passport) rather than a using a Department of State Passport Agency.

The reason one might apply for a passport at a Passport Agency, however, is if international travel would be occurring within two weeks of application date, or if one needs to obtain a foreign visa within four weeks. In other words, LAST MINUTE PROCESSING.

Again, I would caution anyone that needs a passport to APPLY AHEAD OF TIME with at least 3-6 weeks of processing time.  It’s a lot less stressful and will require less work on your part, especially if you don’t live anywhere near a Passport Agency location.

Note that there are only about 27 passport agencies nationwide, and many of them are not conveniently accessed – for example, I live in St Louis, Missouri, and the closest passport agency to me is in Chicago, Illinois, over a 5-hour drive away!  NOT terribly convenient for me.  Your situation could be similar – for example, there are ZERO passport agencies in states like Ohio, Montana, New Mexico, Tennessee, Utah, and many others.

Further:  it may be IMPOSSIBLE for you to process your new or renewed passport through a passport agency if there is no available appointment time for you when you need it, or if they deem that you should just apply the way most people do with routine or expedited passport processing times.  Passport Agency processing is for LAST MINUTE PROCESSING and is not for everyone.

IF YOU MUST APPLY FOR A PASSPORT THROUGH A PASSPORT AGENCY, HERE’S HOW TO DO IT:

1. Review the Passport Agency location list for the passport agency locations most convenient to you.  Make sure to check the specific Passport Agency’s web page for exact instructions on what documentation you will need before setting up an appointment (some agencies will require proof of travel, meaning an itinerary or confirmation page for your international flight.  Each passport agency has slightly different requirements).
2. Call the National Passport Information Center 24/7 at 1-877-487-2778 to schedule an appointment at the Passport Agency most convenient to you.
3. If you are given an appointment time, gather any/all documents required for your appointment.  Again, review the specific Passport Agency location’s web page for details.  My recommendation is to bring MORE documentation than you need, just to be careful.
4. Show up EARLY for your appointment.  Personally, I’d show up an hour early.  Many of these facilities are located in federal buildings that have metal detectors and require you to take elevator rides to the office in question.  In other words:  you’ve come this far, don’t blow it now!  And don’t bring weapons/firearms to the office either – those could be a problem at the metal detector.
5. Be READY with all your documentation in order for when your appointment comes up.  And passport agency offices can run a bit behind at times, so be ready to wait a bit if necessary.
6. Pick up your new or renewed passport at will-call when the office tells you to.  As of mid-2015, The US Dept of State website is listing Passport Agency processing times at up to eight business days.  In my experience, passports are often ready for pickup same-day, several hours after one’s appointment.  Accordingly (especially if you have to travel from your home city to a given Passport Agency), I recommend setting up a MORNING appointment if you’re trying to get your passport turned around in the same day.  But that’s just my experience, so speak with your specific Passport Agency to check on processing times.

MY STORY OF PROCESSING A PASSPORT AT A PASSPORT AGENCY

I have only had to process a (renewed) passport one time, via the Chicago Passport Agency, in late 2008.  Here’s how it went for me, which included travel from my home city of St Louis.

1. I was booked on a job out of the country that required travel out of the country within three weeks.
2. I called the National Passport Information Center to set up an a passport renewal appointment.  My appointment was granted at the Chicago Passport Agency for a date I remember as about 10 days prior to my travel.
3. I gathered all necessary documents for passport renewal, as required by the specific passport agency.  In my case (and in this agency’s case to date), this included a printed copy of my PROOF OF TRAVEL – I had my airfare confirmation in hand along with other documents and identification, including my most recent passport.  The other thing I was careful not to forget was my CHECK BOOK for payment of fees.
4. I drove from my home city of St Louis, Missouri to Chicago, Illinois (about 5 hours) on the night PRIOR to my morning appointment at the passport agency.  I slept at a friend’s apartment and woke up early to attend my appointment.
5. I showed up an hour early to the Passport Agency for what I remember as a 8:30 AM or 9:00 AM appointment, went through security (including metal detectors) and took the elevator to the passport agency office.
6. The office was running on schedule that day and my appointment came up on time.  I approached the window with all needed documentation and spoke with the clerk.  In minutes, they had everything they needed and sent me on my way.  They told me passport would be ready that afternoon.
7. I wandered around Chicago until the time came to revisit the Passport Agency office.  I showed up early for my noted pickup time, went through security again, and visited will call for passport pickup.  My passport was ready, same day!  Done.  I drove home that afternoon with a renewed valid passport in hand.

If I end up in an emergency situation again, I’d be comfortable doing this again – but for those that have not done a Passport Agency run for last minute travel, it can be a stressful process, like a visit to any government office.

CAN I LAST-MINUTE-RENEW MY PASSPORT VIA A PASSPORT EXPEDITING SERVICE INSTEAD OF A PASSPORT AGENCY?

Yes, you can do this as well, but fees can be high (think hundreds of dollars in service fees).  Some people on the same international trip I was on in 2008 used private passport expediting services for their passport renewals, paid FAR more than I did to renew mine, but were given the convenience of not having to (potentially) set aside multiple days just to renew their passport like I did.  Give and take.

There’s not a passport expediting service I can personally recommend as I’ve had no personal experience with them.  Check other travel blogs and forums for success stories and referrals.

PASSPORT “BOOK” VS PASSPORT “CARD”

The vast majority of US citizens will need to get a US Passport BOOK for their international travel, as opposed to a US Passport CARD.

The US Passport BOOK is the de facto identification document for entering any foreign nation by air, sea or land.

The “US Passport Card” has very limited and very specific uses – it will only allow entry to Mexico, Canada, Bermuda and “The Caribbean” (which countries exactly is this, US State Dept?), and ONLY by land or sea – NOT by air.

Who is the US Passport Card for, then?  Mostly commuters and businesspeople that move between the US and Canada/Mexico/Bermuda/The Caribbean frequently by land or sea.

If you feel compelled to get a US Passport Card at the time you apply for your US Passport Book, feel free.  It’s only $30.00 US, and it won’t HURT you to have one.  For most travelers, this’ll just be another form of photo ID rather than a truly useful travel document.

In my case, I have had ZERO opportunities to use a Passport Card even if I wanted to use one.  No real point to me.

WHAT IF I RUN OUT OF VISA PAGES IN MY PASSPORT?

As of January 1st, 2016, you’ll be forced to renew your passport.  Provisions for supplemental visa pages no longer exist.  Strikethrough text below was current until that date.

If you run low on available visa pages in your passport, you’ll need to mail your passport in to add additional visa pages (or alternatively, schedule an appointment with a Passport Agency, as described in above sections of this guide).

HOW MANY ADDITIONAL PAGES CAN I GET?

Additional visa pages are added in 24-page increments.  A standard request for additional visa pages will get you 24 additional pages.  Alternatively, you can request a 48-page addition by ticking a box on the application.  There is no guarantee that the State Dept will honor a 48-page addition request, but if you travel TONS, it might not be a bad idea to go for it.

HOW TO ADD PAGES TO YOUR PASSPORT

Adding pages to your passport should be treated in a similar way to renewing a passport, though the fees and forms are a bit different.  You’ll need to gather the following and everything in according to instructions on Form DS-4085.

1. Form DS-4085, completed and signed
2. Current Passport Book
3. Check payable to U.S. Department of State for applicable fees

HOW LONG DOES ADDING PAGES TO MY PASSPORT TAKE?

Adding pages to a passport takes a similar amount of time to renewing a passport:  4-6 weeks for routine service, or 3 weeks for expedited service (additional fees apply for expedited service).  Personal experience:  processing times were accurate when I added pages to my passport in 2014.

FEES FOR ADDING PAGES TO YOUR CURRENT PASSPORT:

Fees are not DIRECTLY outlined on the US Dept of State website, so I recommend calling the National Passport Information Center (1-877-487-2778) to review exact fees for adding pages before you cut your check.  My estimations of current fees for page additions are as follows:

“SLOWER” PAGE ADDITION FEES (estimated processing times of 4-6 weeks)

• Page addition:  $82.00
• Standard Processing:  $0.00
• Standard Delivery:  $0.00
• TOTAL:  $82.00 (not including outbound shipping)

“FASTER” PAGE ADDITION FEES (estimated processing times of 3 weeks)

• Page addition:  $82.00
• Expediting Fee:  $60.00
• Overnight Delivery:  $14.85
• TOTAL:  $156.85 (not including outbound shipping)

PASSPORT PHOTOS

You can get your passport photos by visiting one of the following:

• A drug store with photo services, like Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid
• A shipping store, like FedEx or UPS
• A local photo equipment store in your area
• United States Post Office locations

Participation will vary at each of these places, including USPS offices – call ahead to make sure they do indeed offer passport photo services and prints.

Passport photos at Walgreens currently run $12.99 for a set of TWO photos.

CAN I TAKE MY OWN PASSPORT PHOTOS?

For anyone with a bit of photographic knowledge and the ability to print photos, this is a fairly easy process.  Requirements for US Passport photos are here.  The US State Department even offers a photographer’s guide to taking passport photos.  Cute!

I like taking my own passport photos because then I get to review my own photos and make sure I’m not stuck with something I absolutely HATE for ten years (though I admit, terrible passport photos are pretty funny and fun to share with other travelers!).

Thanks for reading!  Again, please use this page only as a rough guide, and review the US State Dept’s website for current information on US Passports.  Fees, application times and documentation needs may change over time.