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Frequently Asked Questions about Passport Services
Find answers to your most popular questions about passports.
Common questions
If you are age 16 or older, your passport is valid for 10 years. A child's passport (age 0-15) is valid for 5 years and cannot be renewed.
Some foreign destinations require that your passport have at least 6 months of validity beyond the dates of your trip. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met.
Check our Travel Advisories to learn about requirements for the destination you are traveling to.
To learn about returning to the United States after your travel, visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's website.
We will return your old passport when you renew by mail unless it is damaged or intentionally altered. It may take up to 4 weeks for your old passport to arrive after you receive your new passport.
If you renew online, you will keep your most recent passport and do not send it to us.
After you apply for your new passport, you cannot use your old passport for travel. If you have a visa in your old passport that you need for travel, check with the foreign embassy or consulate that issued the visa to see if you can still use it.
The number on your new passport will be different from the number on your previous passport.
If you have Global Entry, update your Trusted Traveler account with your new passport information.
Visit After You Get Your New Passport for more information.
No. Do not contact us if your address changed after you already received your new passport and supporting documents.
Dial 877-487-2778 only if your mailing address changed while you have a passport application in process and are waiting for the return of your passport and supporting documents. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, dial 888-874-7793.
The cost of your passport depends on your age, if you want a passport book, passport card, or both, how fast you need it, and where you apply.
Visit Passport Fees for more information on how much to pay and what payment methods we accept.
If there is an emergency or your travel plans change, dial 877-487-2778 to discuss your options. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, dial 888-874-7793. You’ll need either your application number or your last name and date of birth.
- You may be able to add a 1-3 day delivery fee for your passport book or upgrade to expedited service.
- We only send passport cards via First Class Mail without 1-3 day delivery.
If you applied for a passport book, it will arrive via a trackable delivery service. If you applied for a passport card, it will arrive via First Class Mail.
We return your supporting documents by First Class Mail to the mailing address you listed in your application.
These documents include a previous passport, birth certificate, or naturalization certificate.
You can expect to receive these documents up to 4 weeks after your passport book or card.
If you have been waiting more than 4 weeks for your documents, dial 877-487-2778 to report it.
If you want us to reimburse you for a lost supporting document, you must contact us within 120 days of the date when we mailed your passport.
Provide a receipt to show the cost of replacing the document.
Applying for a passport
You should have a U.S. passport if:
You have family living or traveling abroad.
You are thinking about a vacation abroad.
You have a job that could require international travel.
You want a REAL ID alternative for domestic travel.
If you are age 16 or older, your passport is valid for 10 years. A child's passport (age 0-15) is valid for 5 years and cannot be renewed.
Some foreign destinations require that your passport have at least 6 months of validity beyond the dates of your trip. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met.
Check our Travel Advisories to learn about requirements for the destination you are traveling to.
To learn about returning to the United States after your travel, visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's website.
Yes. The U.S. passport book and passport card are alternatives to a state-issued REAL ID. They can be used for domestic flights.
The cost of your passport depends on your age, if you want a passport book, passport card, or both, how fast you need it, and where you apply.
Visit Passport Fees for more information on how much to pay and what payment methods we accept.
When you apply for a passport using Form DS-11, you will need to pay 2 fees: 1 to the U.S. Department of State and 1 to the facility where you submit your application. You pay the passport application fee to the U.S. Department of State for processing your application and printing your passport. You pay the facility acceptance fee to the facility which accepts your application. This fee is for verifying your identification and mailing your application and documents to the U.S. Department of State for processing.
Acceptance facilities include libraries, local government offices, and post offices. They collect the acceptance fee for reviewing your forms and accepting your application.
When you renew your passport on Form DS-82 as an adult, you only pay a passport application fee to the U.S. Department of State. You do not pay a facility acceptance fee.
If you are submitting a paper application, visit Passport Photos to learn requirements and review examples of photos. If you are renewing online, visit Uploading a Digital Photo for more information.
Yes, but only if you already have a valid U.S. passport book and you meet several requirements. Find out if you are eligible.
Some foreign destinations require that your passport have 2-4 blank visa or stamp pages. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met. Check our Travel Advisories to learn about requirements for the destination you are traveling to.
You cannot add visa pages to a current passport book. If you need more pages, you must renew your passport book.
When you apply, select the option for a "large book" so you can get a passport book with extra visa pages.
Airlines may deny you boarding or you could encounter difficulties traveling abroad if your passport is damaged. You should apply in person for a new passport. To replace your damaged passport, submit:
The damaged passport
A signed statement explaining the damaged or mutilated condition of your passport book or card
Form DS-11 including supporting documents, photo, and fees
Do not replace your passport if there is normal wear and tear.
Passport processing and delivery
If you applied for a passport book, it will arrive via a trackable delivery service. If you applied for a passport card, it will arrive via First Class Mail.
We return your supporting documents by First Class Mail to the mailing address you listed in your application.
These documents include a previous passport, birth certificate, or naturalization certificate.
You can expect to receive these documents up to 4 weeks after your passport book or card.
If you have been waiting more than 4 weeks for your documents, dial 877-487-2778 to report it.
If you want us to reimburse you for a lost supporting document, you must contact us within 120 days of the date when we mailed your passport.
Provide a receipt to show the cost of replacing the document.
Visit Processing Times for information.
We send application status updates to the email address you provided on your application. You can also check the status of the application online and learn more about each status update.
Check your application status and review your tracking information. If you have waited over 2 weeks since we mailed your new passport, dial 877-487-2778. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, dial 888-874-7793.
We will provide information about filling out Form DS-86. It is a signed statement that says you didn't receive your new U.S. passport.
You must complete the DS-86 form within 120 days of the date we issued your passport. After 120 days, you must reapply and pay all fees, by law.
Visit Get My Passport Fast for information on expediting your application. You must make an appointment at a passport agency or center for urgent travel.
If you have a life-or-death emergency, visit Life-or-Death Emergency to see if you qualify for an appointment.
If there is an emergency or your travel plans change, dial 877-487-2778 to discuss your options. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, dial 888-874-7793. You’ll need either your application number or your last name and date of birth.
- You may be able to add a 1-3 day delivery fee for your passport book or upgrade to expedited service.
- We only send passport cards via First Class Mail without 1-3 day delivery.
We send you a letter or email if we need more information from you to complete your passport application. Visit Respond to a Letter or Email for more details.
Passport renewal and changes
- If you are changing your name within 1 year of the date your passport was issued, complete Form DS-5504.
- If you are changing your name over a year after your passport was issued, complete Form DS-82.
- For more information, visit Change or Correct a Passport.
No. Do not contact us if your address changed after you already received your new passport and supporting documents.
Dial 877-487-2778 only if your mailing address changed while you have a passport application in process and are waiting for the return of your passport and supporting documents. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, dial 888-874-7793.
We will return your old passport when you renew by mail unless it is damaged or intentionally altered. It may take up to 4 weeks for your old passport to arrive after you receive your new passport.
If you renew online, you will keep your most recent passport and do not send it to us.
After you apply for your new passport, you cannot use your old passport for travel. If you have a visa in your old passport that you need for travel, check with the foreign embassy or consulate that issued the visa to see if you can still use it.
The number on your new passport will be different from the number on your previous passport.
If you have Global Entry, update your Trusted Traveler account with your new passport information.
Visit After You Get Your New Passport for more information.
Children (Under 16)
- On a passport for a child under 16, a parent should print the child's full name on the signature line. The parent should also:
- Sign their name next to the printed name of their child
- Note their relationship to the child, such as mother, father, or guardian
No. You cannot renew your child's passport using Form DS-82. If your child is under age 16, your child must appear in person with you and the child's other parent or guardian. You must submit your child's Form DS-11 at a passport acceptance facility, or a passport agency or center.
Both parents or guardians must approve that we can issue a passport to a child. They must go with the child to apply in person. If 1 or both parents or guardians cannot apply in person with their child, you will need to show more documents.
Find more information by visiting Apply for a Child’s U.S. Passport.
Social Security number requirement
Yes. Federal law requires that you provide your Social Security number, if you have one.
If you do not provide the information, your passport application will be delayed. Your application may be denied. You will also face a $500 penalty by the Internal Revenue Service. (26 U.S.C. 6039E).
Contact the Social Security Administration for information about getting a Social Security number and card.
Submit a signed and dated statement. You must include the statement with the application, and include this text:
“I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the following is true and correct: I (or my child) have never been issued a Social Security number by the Social Security Administration.”
U.S passport card
The U.S. passport card is a wallet-sized, plastic passport that has no visa pages. The card is proof of U.S. citizenship and identity. It has the same length of validity as the passport book.
Passport cards allow you to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, some Caribbean destinations, and Bermuda by land or sea. Passport cards are not valid for international travel by air. They can be used to cross land borders faster from Mexico and Canada at Ready Lanes.
You can apply for either the passport book or card, or both.
Yes. If you already have a passport book, and you are eligible to renew using Form DS-82, you may apply for a passport card by mail as a renewal. This is even if this is your first passport card.
You can do the same and apply for your first passport book by mail as a renewal if you already have a passport card.
You can apply for both a passport book and passport card at the same time using the same application. When completing your form, let us know if you would like to apply for 1 or both documents.
If you're renewing both your passport book and passport card, you must provide both documents. If you can submit a passport book, but you lost your passport card, you cannot renew the passport card using Form DS-82.