US citizenship gives people the opportunity to enjoy all constitutional rights, study, work, receive medical, legal, and social assistance. A passport is used as the main identity document in this country. To obtain it, several papers are required, including an Application for a US Passport Form (or DS-11). In this article, we will tell you how to fill it out.
How to Apply for a New Passport?
The complete package of documents for obtaining a passport might differ depending on the specific situation. For example, you can receive an adult document for the first time in your life, change an expired one, or restore a stolen one. However, you are required to provide a Passport Application DS-11 Form in any case.
You can fill out a template both manually and electronically. It has also to be accompanied by US citizenship and identity proof, a color photograph, and the applicable fees must be paid. If a child under the age of 16 receives a passport, both parents or guardians need to be present with them. If mom or dad cannot come on the appointed day, they have to fill out DS-3053 on their behalf.
After collecting the necessary documents, you should make an appointment with an acceptance agent, who will familiarize themselves with the papers. Next, they should be passed to a passport service.
What Is a DS-11 Form?
A fillable DS-11 form is a mandatory document for those who wish to obtain a US passport. It is a two-page file where you should provide personal information, from full name, SSN, and email to your marital status, height, and eye color. Where to get a DS-11 Form? The blank is distributed free of charge, so you can find it freely available on the Internet or get a paper version from your local court clerk, post, and passport offices. Be careful when filling it out and double-check the information.
How to Fill Out a DS-11 Form?
To enter all the required information correctly, follow these steps:
- At the top of the first page, indicate the type of document you want to receive: a card or a book. You also need to pick the number of pages for the second option. If you plan to travel a lot, choose the 52-page version.
- Next, enter your full name, gender, date and place of birth, SSN, contact details, exact address, and other names.
- Please note that the bottom of the first page does not need to be completed now. Do not make any notes in any way. Information should be entered here only under the direction and in the personal presence of an authorized agent. Go straight to the second page.
- Enter your full name again and fill in information about your parents: their names, places and dates of birth, citizenship, and gender. Also, indicate your marital status.
- After that, put down your height, hair and eye color, address, emergency contacts, as well as plans for traveling to other countries. If you have previously applied for a US passport, please indicate it.
- On the second page, there is also a field filled only in the presence of an authorized agent.
You can complete the document either by hand or electronically. In the first case, you need to use black ink and write in block letters. In the second, the completed form should be printed. You cannot submit it electronically yet.
Where to File DS-11 Form?
If you are in the US, you may mail or submit this form personally, along with other required documents, to your local passport agencies. If you are in another country, you can send your papers to the nearest US embassy. However, before that, meet with an authorized agent who will check the correctness of filling out the form and help you enter information in those fields that are left blank. The terms for obtaining a passport after accepting documents can vary from 72 hours (fast track) to 10+ weeks (a standard option). If you apply in another country, the deadlines may be slightly longer.
To summarize the above, it is worth noting that there is nothing difficult in filling out and submitting a DS-11 form. The main thing is to be extremely careful when entering data since errors can delay the process or even lead to a refusal to issue you a passport. That is why it is better not to fill out the forms manually but with a computer using fillable templates.
