Applying for US passports is one of the transactions that US citizens must perform, especially if they are planning to travel abroad in the near future. Your US passport is a significant travel document that will prove you are a legitimate citizen of the United States. This document will allow you safe exit and return to the country and will also warrant you certain rights once you are in foreign territory. Applying for US passports may proceed in a different manner for different cases. However, it is not something that you can afford to neglect because doing so will expose you to substantial legal trouble.
Presence required
Perhaps many people are hoping that applying for US passports has gotten more convenient with the birth if the Internet and such technological developments. It?s true that certain online resources can be used in the process of application, but ultimately, you will have to attend to matters in person if it is your first time to apply. So who are the people required to tend to their application in person? People who were never issued a passport before (first-time applicants), people whose passports are expired, people whose passports were lost, irreparably damaged or stolen and people who have changed their names without any legal or formal documents.
Do the paperwork
The first thing you must do is to secure your copy of the application, also known as Form DS-11. This form is actually now downloadable through the Internet. Simply find a website that lets you download this document and then print at your convenience. Although you may choose to fill up the form, you must remember not to sign anything until you have gone to an acceptance agency and the agent has told you to do sign the form.
Prepare your documents
Before you go to the acceptance agency near you, it?s best to prepare all your documents so you can easily present them. You will need documents proving your US citizenship (birth certificate, baptismal certificate, census record, and the like). You will also need to provide documents proving your identity (government ID or a driver?s license). The last steps involve providing two passport photos, your social security number and then paying the required fees.
Express and easy
Applying for US passports can be fast and hassle-free if you use an expediting service like US Passport Express. Use this website now and obtain your passport the easy way.
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