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STEP 1. Gather US Passport
Application Materials |
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A.
Completed DS-11 Passport Application |
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One DS-11 Application completely filled in
but NOT signed. You must sign the application in front of an
authorized agent, as explained in Step 2. You have the choice of
downloading the form here
or picking it up at a Passport Acceptance
Agent. |
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B.
Proof of US Citizenship |
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Proof of US Citizenship is required to
obtain a US Passport. You will need ONE of the following.
- Original Certified Birth
Certificate issued by a city, county or state. Hospital and
religion-based certificates are not acceptable.
- Previous US Passport that
has not been damaged or mutilated.
- Original Naturalization
Certificate
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C.
Proof of Identity |
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Proof of Identity ensures that you are
applying for this passport. You must provide ONE of the following
official documents.
- A photocopy of the
applicant's valid Driver's license, issued more than 6 months ago.
- If the applicant does not
possess a Driver's license or the license was issued within the past
6 months, additional proof of identity is required. Click for
additional proof of identity.
During Step 2, make sure the Acceptance
Agent notes on the DS-11 that you presented ID. |
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D.
Two Passport Photos |
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Two identical passport photos are required
with the application. Passport Photos may be acquired at UPS
Stores, Kinko's and drug stores (CVS, Eckerd, etc.). Do NOT use
vending machine photos. |
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E.
Letter of Authorization |
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One Adult Letter of Authorization
is
required to be filled in and signed. This letter indicates to the
acceptance agent that you authorize our services in the expediting of
your passport application under the "Hand Carry" policies of the US
Passport Agency. |
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F.
Proof of Travel |
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Proof of Travel. You will need to
provide evidence of upcoming foreign travel through ONE of the following
:
- copy of airline tickets;
- copy of printed itinerary (emails
are OK);
- letter from the business or
organization that is arranging the trip detailing the dates and
locations to be visited.
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G.
Government Fees |
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The fees the the State
Department charges can be paid via checks or money order. The
applicant must be listed on the check and the checks cannot be starter
checks.
- One check payable to "US Department of State" for $115.
- Your local acceptance agent will collect $30 for their service
in Step 2. These fees can usually be paid via cash, check or
money order.
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STEP 2. Get Passport
Application Authorized at Acceptance Agent |
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Go to your local
Acceptance Agent |
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The applicant must appear
in person before a local government official called Acceptance Agents
(AA) with all of the materials listed in Step 1 (A-G). The
Acceptance Agent will take about 10 minutes to review the materials, ask you to sign the DS-11
and seal the materials in an envelope. Acceptance Agents are
usually located at larger local Post Offices or are county clerks and
are usually open Monday thru Friday, 9 to 4pm.
You can find local agents and their hours by typing in your zip code
below (Please note, the AA search will open a new window):
- Inform the acceptance agent that you will be using our service
to "hand carry" the passport application to the U.S. Passport
Agency.
- Make Sure the AA returns the sealed envelope to you. If
the agent does not fee at ease about releasing the envelope, suggest
that he/she refer to page 31 of the Passport Agent's manual entitled
"Hand-carrying of Executed Applications".
- Do not attempt to open the sealed envelope, any tampering will
cause the application to be invalid.
- Write your Name, Date of Birth and Departure Date on the outside
of the sealed envelope.
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Step
3. Complete Order Form, Pay and Ship |
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A.
Complete Order Form |
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Fill out an
online order form that tells
us about how to contact you, what service you are choosing, how you are
paying, and where to ship the completed passport back to you. |
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B.
Service Fees and Return Shipping |
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- Our 7-10 Day Processing Service Fee
is $49
- For return shipping you have two
choices:
- Include a prepaid, filled in
airbll from Fedex,UPS, DHL, or USPS.
- Our Overnight Delivery fee is
$17
The Total Fees due are $66 ($49 if you
included the prepaid airbill). You may pay by check, credit card or
money order.
- If you are paying by check,
enclose a check made payable to "Budget Passport"
- If you are paying by credit card,
please make sure you entered the credit card information on the
order from in Step 3A (above).
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C.
Ship your Package |
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Send the Sealed Envelope sealed by the
Acceptance Agent in Step 2, any checks payable to Budget Passport, and
any additional documents to the following address:
Budget Passport and Visa
Services
388 Market Street
Suite 400
San Francisco, CA 94111
We highly suggest
you send your sensitive documents via FedEx, UPS or DHL.
These three couriers have shown to be extremely reliable and have
individual package tracking in case there is any problem.
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D.
Status Updates and Additional Requests |
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Congratulations. Once we receive
your package we will have your US Passport back to you within 7-10 business
days.
- If you should have any questions
regarding your application, contact us. We are here to help
and reduce any stress you may have.
- If we are notified of any problems
with the application, we'll notify you as soon as possible.
If you require a VISA for your trip,
click on our travel visa section. As a current customer, we offer
a 20% discount on our already low visa rates.
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