American citizens enjoy travelling all over the world. Whether you are going on a transatlantic cruise or travelling to Europe, you need to have a U.S. passport. If you wish to apply for a U.S. passport for the first time or your U.S. passport has been lost or stolen, you must submit your U.S. passport application using Form DS-11. Form DS-11 must be filed in person at the passport acceptance facility and can not be submitted by mail. Applicants whose U.S. passport has expired and who wish to renew it can use Form DS-82, Application for a U.S. Passport by Mail. However, if your U.S. passport was issued to you more than 15 years ago, you must submit Form DS-11 instead of Form DS-82. If your U.S. passport has been lost, stolen or damaged, in addition to Form DS-11 you must complete Form DS-64, Statement Regarding a Lost or Stolen Passport and file it together with Form DS-11.
Applicants whose current name is substantially different from the name on their birth certificate and who do not have legal documentation to prove their name change, such as a court document or marriage certificate, must file Form DS-60, Affidavit Regarding a Change of Name in addition to Form DS-11. Minor children who are travelling internationally by air are required to have their own U.S. passport. An application for a U.S. passport for a child under 16 years of age must be submitted on Form DS-11 as well. If a parent of the child is unable to file the child’s U.S. passport application in person, he or she must complete Form DS-3053, Statement of Consent – Issuing a Passport to a Minor Under Age 16 in addition to Form DS-11.
If you plan to travel by land or by sea to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda, you can apply for a U.S. passport card instead of a U.S. passport. An application for a U.S. passport card must be submitted on Form DS-11. However, you cannot use your U.S. passport card to travel internationally by air.
If you already have a U.S. passport and need to change your name or correct a typing error in your U.S. passport, you must file Form DS-5504, Name Change, Data Correction, and Limited Passport Book Replacement instead of Form DS-11. However, if your U.S. passport was issued to you more than 1 year ago and you wish to change your name in your passport, you have to file Form DS-82, Application for a U.S. Passport by Mail instead of Forms DS-5504 and DS-11. If you do not have legal documentation to prove your name change, you must use Form DS-11 to change your name.
Applicants who need to add more visa pages to their valid unexpired U.S. passport must use Form DS-4085, Application for Additional Visa Pages instead of Form DS-11.
U.S. PASSPORT FORMS
Form DS-11, Application for a U.S. Passport/U.S. Passport Card
Form DS-60, Affidavit Regarding a Change of Name
Form DS-64, Statement Regarding Lost or Stolen Passport
Form DS-82, Application for a U.S. Passport by Mail
Form DS-3053, Statement of Consent – Issuing a Passport to a Minor Under Age 16