Nowadays, it appears as if the world is compressing at an ever-faster pace. People are able, for example, to jump on a plane in Los Angeles and be in Moscow in a matter of hours. In almost every instance like this though, a passport will be a necessity. Understanding the steps involved in a passport application forms therefore may come in handy when it’s time to get one.
The first thing to understand is that in the United States, the State Department is the issuing authority for all US passports. And while it might seem daunting at first glance to obtain a passport, it actually isn’t. In general, people have a couple of different ways of doing so; either on their own through passport centers run by the government or by hiring a new passport application form.
Anybody 16 years of age and older who needs a passport for the first time will need to follow certain steps before receiving it. Generally, those who are first-time applicants will also have to apply in person at a passport agency or service center. They may also be able to use an expediter, in certain cases. Passport agencies include many US post offices, generally speaking.
In addition to having to make the application in person, it’ll be necessary to fill out the right form. Currently, for first-timers, this is government Form DS-11. It’s also known as an Application for US Passport. There are a couple of other different documents that have to be submitted along with it and it has to be signed in front of a passport worker. Documents include proof of citizenship and identity.
When it comes to citizenship, there are a number of different regulations that pertain to the kind of acceptable proof. Usually, a birth certificate that has a raised seal, a certificate of citizenship or naturalization papers will work quite well. If those aren’t available, there are some other secondary documents that will be accepted. Check on the State Department passport website for just which ones those are.
As well, there are a number of different documents that can be used to prove identity, by the way. These include valid driver licenses, military identification cards and state, city and federal identification cards. When it comes to secondary-type identification, a library card, credit or debit card and a Social Security card combined with those two can be accepted in certain instances.
Currently, fees for the issuance of an adult passport (i.e., for those 16 years of age and older) can run from $20 to $95 for the passport itself, along with a $25 execution fee. Methods for payment are extremely varied, depending on whether application is made in person or through the mails and such. These can include credit and debit cards as well as money orders, exact cash and even personal checks.
Even though it can seem a bit complicated at first, making a passport application go smoothly is actually fairly straightforward. The first thing to do, of course, is to visit the passport section of the State Department website. Of course, one can always take on the services of an passport expediting service. These businesses can make the whole process go very easily and quickly.
