Fillable Form DS-11

The DS-11 form is a legal document used by United States citizens and non-United States nationals to apply for a passport. Using the form,  you must apply in person at any passport acceptance facility if at least one of the following terms is true:

1. You are applying for your first U.S. passport

2. You are under 16 years old

3. Your previous U.S. passport was issued when you were under 16 years old

4. Your previous U.S. passport was lost, stolen, or damaged

5. Your previous U.S. passport was issued more than 15 years ago

Before you accomplish the form, take note that printed errors on passports require applicants to apply for corrections. To avoid the problems caused by preventable errors, you should write as legible as possible and correctly follow all the instructions. In addition, fill out the form as completely as possible, not providing any false information. False statements made deliberately in any legal document are punishable by law and can lead to penalties and imprisonment.

Filling out the DS-11 form is simple and only demands that you pay close attention to detail. In any case, you should not have trouble using it, as it has clear instructions on how to input all the required information.

Page 1:
Select the document/s you are applying for and provide the following information:

1. Full name. Use your name as it is on your citizenship document.

2. Date of birth

3. Sex

4. Place of birth. If in the U.S., specify city and state; if outside the U.S., specify country, city, and province.

5. Social Security number. If you do not have one yet, enter zeros (000-00-0000).

6. Email

7. Primary contact phone number

8. Mailing address

9. Names you have used. If applicable, only list previous legal names.

Page 2:

1. Name of applicant

2. Date of birth

3. Parental information

4. Marriage details. If married, provide the required information.

5. Additional contact phone number

6. Occupation

7. Employer or school

8. Height

9. Hair color

10. Eye color

11. Travel plans

12. Permanent address

13. Emergency contact. Provide the information of a person who is not traveling with you. This person will be contacted in the event of an emergency.

14. U.S. passport book or card status. If you have applied for or been issued a U.S. Passport Book or Card, provide the following information:

1. Name as printed on your most recent passport book.

2. Most recent passport book number

3. Most recent passport book issue date

4. Status of your most recent passport book

5. Name as printed on your most recent passport card

6. Most recent passport card number

7. Most recent passport card issue date

8. Status of your most recent passport card

Aside from the completed DS-11 form, additional documents are required when you apply for a passport, you must submit one of the following: 

1. Fully-valid, undamaged U.S. passport (may be expired)

2. Your U.S. birth certificate that meets the following requirements:

1. Issued by the city, country, or state of birth

2. Lists your full name, date of birth, and place of birth

3. Has the date filed with the registrar's office (must be within one year of birth)

4. Has the registrar’s signature

5. Has the seal of the issuing authority

1. Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth

2. Certificate of Naturalization

3. Certificate of Citizenship

These documents must be original or certified copy. A certified copy should have the stamp or seal of the official issuing authority. Nevertheless, you should have photocopies of each document on hand in case needed. Failure to submit a photocopy or a second certified copy of your U.S. citizenship evidence when required might delay the processing of your passport.

Photocopies of any of your documents must be on white, 8.5x11” standard paper. If the back page of your evidence contains crucial information, you should have it photocopied as well. For greater legibility, use black and white ink.

Proof of identification is easier to provide than a U.S. citizenship document. Present one of the following identification documents to the acceptance agent:

1. Valid or expired, undamaged U.S. passport book or passport card

2. In-state, fully valid driver’s license or enhanced driver’s license with photo

3. Certificate of Naturalization

4. Certificate of Citizenship

5. Government employee ID (city, country, state, or federal)

6. U.S. military or military dependent ID

7. Current (valid) foreign passport

8. Matricula Consular (Mexican Consular ID) — commonly used by a parent of a U.S. citizen child applicant

9. U.S. Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) — commonly used by a parent of a U.S. citizen child applicant

10. Trusted Traveler IDs (including valid Global Entry, FAST, SENTRI, and NEXUS cards)

11. Enhanced Tribal Cards and Native American tribal photo IDs

12. Other documents: In-state, fully valid learner's permit with photo, In-state, fully valid non-driver ID with photo, and temporary driver's license with photo — you may be asked to present an additional ID when presenting one of these three documents

You must provide one photo with your application. While there are passport acceptance facilities that provide photo-taking services at an additional cost, it is ideal to have your photo taken ahead of time to expedite the process slightly.

In-person application

1. Submit a colored, high-resolution photo taken within the last 6 months

2. Use a plain white or off-white background

3. Photo size must be 2x2" or 51x51 mm

4. Wear regular clothes and do not wear any headdress or eyeglasses, unless worn for religious reasons

The fees may be paid in cash, checks, major credit cards, and money orders, with checks and money orders payable to "U.S. Department of State." In addition, you may request expedited service with an additional processing fee. The following are the current declared U.S. passport fees:

For adult applicants (Age 16 and older)

For child applicants (Age 15 and older)

You are obliged to apply in person for your first U.S. passport application. When you are in the U.S., you must submit an accomplished DS-11 application form, proof of U.S. citizenship, a photocopy of a valid ID, and your photo. Moreover, you must pay the fees to proceed with your application. If you live outside the U.S., you should contact your U.S. Embassy and Consulate to learn how to process your passport application, as processes in every country vary.

Passport acceptance facilities are usually located in local post offices. Nevertheless, you may find the nearest facility by doing a quick search on the internet. To avoid any inconveniences, as facilities accept clients on a first-come-first-serve basis, it is recommended that you call and set an appointment.

The length of time it takes to receive a passport varies; it could require more or less time to process. Typically, it takes at least four to six weeks for standard delivery; however, this can be longer and would depend on the number of passports your chosen facility is processing. If you wish to receive your passport earlier, you may get it expedited at an additional cost and may take two to three weeks to receive.

For an expedited passport, it is highly recommended that you get the contact information of the person you coordinate with or the agency that handles your application to track the status of your passport. Nevertheless, you can check the progress of your passport online by going to passportstatus.state.gov where you will be required to input your last name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. It may take up to 10 days for passport applications to appear on the online database, but you will be able to check when it has been sent out to you.

1. If you are a U.S. citizen, born or naturalized, or a U.S. national, you can apply for a U.S. passport.

2. U.S. passport application facilities include office passport offices, private agencies, and designated government agencies.

3. First-time passport applicants are required to submit their DS-11 form with the additional required documents to a passport application facility.

4. If you are looking to renew your passport, you should use DS-82 form instead of the DS-11 form.

5. The major difference between a passport book and a passport card is that passport cards are not allowed to be used for international air travel; nevertheless, passport cards are cheaper compared to passport books and more portable. For convenience, you can apply for both a passport book and a passport card.

6. The processing time is the same for passport books and passport cards.

7. To get an expedited passport, you can pay the expedite fee during your application or hire the service of a private expediting company.

8. Through a passport agency, your application can take up to eight days only and a private expediter can complete the application in as short as two days.

9. When applying using the DS-11 form, you are not eligible to mail your application. The online application process is only available to those doing renewals and other needs aside from first-time passport application.

10. If you are outside the U.S., you cannot expedite your application; nevertheless, you may get in touch with your local U.S. embassy or consulate for relevant information.

11. You can get your passport hand-delivered through the standard mail service or by picking it up in person.

12. A passport card only allows land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda

13. If you are traveling soon, check the expiration date of your passport and leave plenty of time for renewal. In addition, research the passport and visa requirements of the country you will be traveling to.

14. If you have legally changed your name since the issuance of your last passport, submit official proof of the name change. You may present your marriage certificate, divorce certificate, or court-ordered name change document.

15. If you no longer have your old passport, you need to treat the renewal like a first-time application; hence, you need to fill out the DS-11 form and submit the required documents in person.

16. Some acceptance facilities require appointments to be accommodated. It is only appropriate to call the facility ahead of time to schedule an appointment. In addition, you may call to verify their business hours, acceptable forms of payment, and appointment requirements.

17. If you are behind in child support payments amounting to $2,500.00 or more, you will not be granted a U.S. passport.

18. For minors, children under the age of 16, the passport application process is similar to the normal process. They must go to an acceptance facility with the required paperwork and documents, accompanied by their parent who will provide his or her personal information plus proof of relationship with the child. If only one parent shows up, you must also submit a DS-3053 form or statement of the non-applying parent consenting to the passport issuance.

19. A minor may be denied the right to obtain a passport if one of the parents has submitted a letter stating his or her disapproval of the child receiving a passport.

20. Do not sign the DS-11 form unless requested by an authorized agent otherwise, you will have to accomplish a new form.

21. When you have received your passport, keep a photocopy or scan it and upload the file to a cloud-based data storage. Doing so might come in handy if you lose your passport while traveling abroad. Also, take note of the nearest embassy or consulate to where you are staying, as that would be where you will go if you lose your passport while on your trip.