Applying for passports for the first time can be very confusing.
Don't worry though, because it's perfectly fine to feel that way. After
all, you need to deal with a lot of things for the first time, fill in
forms, and submit documents. The truth is that applying for passports
doesn't have to be confusing or even stressful. We'll show you in the
following paragraphs how you can easily apply for one minus the
confusion and the hassle.
The first item you need to deal with is the different forms used when applying for passports. These different forms are used for different purposes, so you really need to know which one you'll need. There's a form for applying for a passport for the first time, then there's another one that you'll fill in if you lost your passport, and then a different one if you have to renew your passport. Since you want to apply for a passport, let's deal with the first type of form.
The form filled in by first time passport applicants is Form DS-11. It used to be that you had to go the nearest passport office to get a copy of this form. But today you can download this form via the US Department of State's website. Once downloaded, you can fill the form in before printing it, or you could also print it first then fill it in later using a pen
.
Once your form is complete along with the necessary documents, you'll need to submit it for processing. For passport processing, you can choose to either have it go through routine processing, or have it expedited. Routine processing will generally be fine if you don't need your passport to travel in the next ten weeks, as routine processing generally takes four to six weeks to complete.
An expedited passport is what you need if you need to travel within four weeks. Expedited passports are given priority over those that go through routine processing. Because of this, expedited passports are processed a lot faster.
In the case of expedited passports, they are usually processed within two to three weeks and is thus the choice of travelers who need to have their passports quickly. If you need to travel within that period, getting an expedited passport is an obvious choice.
Speeding up the process of your application takes more resources. That's why expedited passports have a small additional fee on top of the regular passport processing fees. Don't worry about this though, as the price you have to pay isn't the hefty, and it pays for itself in the form of speed and convenience that you get.
The first item you need to deal with is the different forms used when applying for passports. These different forms are used for different purposes, so you really need to know which one you'll need. There's a form for applying for a passport for the first time, then there's another one that you'll fill in if you lost your passport, and then a different one if you have to renew your passport. Since you want to apply for a passport, let's deal with the first type of form.
The form filled in by first time passport applicants is Form DS-11. It used to be that you had to go the nearest passport office to get a copy of this form. But today you can download this form via the US Department of State's website. Once downloaded, you can fill the form in before printing it, or you could also print it first then fill it in later using a pen
.
Once your form is complete along with the necessary documents, you'll need to submit it for processing. For passport processing, you can choose to either have it go through routine processing, or have it expedited. Routine processing will generally be fine if you don't need your passport to travel in the next ten weeks, as routine processing generally takes four to six weeks to complete.
An expedited passport is what you need if you need to travel within four weeks. Expedited passports are given priority over those that go through routine processing. Because of this, expedited passports are processed a lot faster.
In the case of expedited passports, they are usually processed within two to three weeks and is thus the choice of travelers who need to have their passports quickly. If you need to travel within that period, getting an expedited passport is an obvious choice.
Speeding up the process of your application takes more resources. That's why expedited passports have a small additional fee on top of the regular passport processing fees. Don't worry about this though, as the price you have to pay isn't the hefty, and it pays for itself in the form of speed and convenience that you get.
Let's wrap things up here. You have to choices when it comes to applying for a first time passport. You can either take the routine processing path, or choose to have the process sped up with the expedited new passport
processing. Both options have their pros and cons, but if you're after
speed and convenience, then the expedited route is the obvious choice.
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