1. Select Visa Type

2. Select Office/State

3a. Check Requirements

3b. Fill & Print Application

4. Fill Online Order Form


 

REQUIREMENTS FOR U.S. CITIZENS TO OBTAIN NEW ISSUE PASSPORT


You are considered a new or first time issue applicant if you answer YES to any of the following:

You are applying for a US passport for the first time.
Your expired US passport is not in your possesion.
Your previous US passport has expired and was issued more than 15 years ago.
Your previous US passport was issued when you were under 16 years.



Gather the documents required to apply for a first time new issue U.S. passport detailed below.
(Application form DS-11, Proof of U.S. Citizenship, Proof of Identity, Photos, Flight Itinerary etc:)





Before sending your documents to TDS for processing, you must appear in person along with all required ORIGINAL documents at your local acceptance agent for Passport Applications (usually a post office or county court house).

 Click here to locate your nearest local acceptance agent




Send your completed documents to Travel Document Systems, Inc. for expediting.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Proof of U.S. Citizenship

When applying for a U.S. passport, evidence of U.S. citizenship must be submitted with Form DS-11. All documentation submitted as citizenship evidence will be returned to you.

Primary Evidence of U.S. Citizenship (One of the following):

Previously issued, undamaged U.S. Passport
Certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state
Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth
Naturalization Certificate
Certificate of Citizenship

 

Proof of Identity

When applying for a U.S. passport, acceptable identification must be presented at the time of application.

Primary Identification (One of the following):

Previously issued, undamaged U.S. passport
Naturalization Certificate
Valid Driver's License
Current Government ID (city, state or federal)
Current Military ID (military and dependents)

When you procede to the Post Office or Court House  the clerk will take your Driver's License or ID details. (Not the original)

 

Photo

Please send 2 recent professional passport-type photographs
Quality Requirements for Passport Book & Passport Card Photographs
Digital and non-passport photographs are not acceptable.

 

Letter of Authorization

Click here to print the Authorization Letter

TDS recommends using the sample above.

You must complete and include TWO Letters "Attn: U.S Passport Agency" stating: "I, (applicant name), hereby authorize Travel Document Systems to pick up my passport, and to discuss the status of my application with the Passport Services staff."

Completed and sign TWO Authorization Letters. One letter will be placed inside your seal envelope by the clerk, the other will be placed inside your Fed Ex package.

 

Proof of Departure

Copy of itinerary or air tickets showing depdarture date from the U.S. or a letter from your employer stating you have immediate international travel.

A copy of your itinerary, air tickets or letter from your employer is required for 24 Hour processing.
It is not required for 3-10 day processing.

Please inculed one copy inside the sealed envelope, a second copy will be placed inside your Fed Ex package.

Minors Aged Under 16 Years

Application Form for child under 16 years click here


ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILDREN UNDER 16 YEARS
1. Both parents or child's legal guardian must:
Present evidence of child's U.S. citizenship, and
Present evidence they are the child's parents or guardian, and
Show valid personal identification, and
Sign and take oath before an authorized passport acceptance agent.

2. If the second parent is not available, the appearing parent must Do as above, and print and complete the following form:

DS-3053: Statement of Consent - Issuance of a Passport to a Minor Under Age 16
This form should be submitted, along with the DS-11 Application for Passport, for minors under age 16 as evidence of parental permission for the following reasons.
You are a non-applying parent or guardian consenting to passport issuance for your child, or
You are an applying parent or guardian, and the written consent of the non-applying parent or guardian cannot be obtained

3. If no parent is available to sign, the third party in lieu parent must:
Appear with a notarized written statement or affidavit from both parents or custodial parent(s) authoring the third party to apply for the passport. When the statement or affidavit is from only one parent, the third party must present evidence of sole custody of the authorizing parent.
The law requires that all applications be signed under oath under the penalty of perjury.

THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILDREN UNDER 16 YEARS


All minor children applying for passports are required to appear in person at the local acceptance agency.

 

Passport Card

PASSPORT CARDS: The new Passport Cards cannot be expedited at this time and take approximately 4-5 weeks to issue. If you are applying for a regular passport only, please mark the box on your passport application next to "Passport Book". If you also want to apply for a Passport Card you should also mark the box next "Passport Card". There is an additional $20.00 government fee for the Passport Card and the Passport Card will be processed separately from your regular passport (in about 4-5 weeks) then mailed to you directly by First Class mail.

 

Appointment

If you require 24 Hour processing, you must have an appointment scheduled with TDS to proceed. Please call 1-888-874-5100 for an appointment. TDS must receive your document at least one business prior to your appointment.

If you require 3-4 day or 5-10 day processing no appointment is required.

 

TDS Service Fee

TypePriceProcessing Time
Regular $85.00 5-10 Business Days
Rush $130.00 3-4 Business Days
24 Hours $195.00 24 Hour Processing


U.S. Government Fees

Type Adult PriceMinors PriceProcessing Time
Regular $160.00 $145.00 5-10 Business Days
Rush
 $160.00 $145.00 3-4 Business Days
24 Hours $160.00 $145.00 24 Hour processing

When you procede to the Post Office or Court House please pay the following:

Pay the clerk the U.S. government fee, including rush fees, and execution fees. Be prepared to write two checks for the total amount, as the clerk will retain $25.00 execution fee.
$135.00 + $25.00 = $160.00 for adults,
$120.00 + $25.00 = $145.00 for children under 16 years.

Please ask the clerk NOT to include the cost of USPS EXPRESS MAIL return postage in your payment of passport fees, doing so will cause a delay in processing.

Please write your name and date of birth on the check or Money order.

 


Application Form

DS-11: Application for New Passport.

Print TWO copies of the completed DS-11 form. Do not sign the DS-11 until you are instructed to do so by the acceptance agent. Give one DS-11 to the acceptance agent to be placed inside the sealed envelope. The second DS-11 is to be placed inside your Fed Ex package to TDS.

The US Passport Agency has introduced an Online based application form, this Online style
application must be used in all expediting cases. Failure to use this Online application may cause
delays in processing times.
TIP: This Online application has replaced "Hand Written" applications, YOU ARE NOT APPLYING
ONLINE you are only completing the questions by typing them onto the application.
The last page of the application is a Print summary page, please scroll to the bottom left corner of
this page and CLICK CREATE FORM you will then be able to print and sign your application.

A correctly formatted application should have a BAR CODE on the top left corner, and DS-11 printed
on the bottom left of the application.

 

Summary of Details Above

Please be sure to make separate photocopies of:
Your Application Form DS-11
Your Letter of Authorization
Your Proof of Departure (Itinerary)

The following items must be placed inside the sealed envelope executed by the Passport Clerk at the Post Office or County Court, then all documents should be placed inside a FedEx envelop for shipping to Travel Document Systems, Inc:

Your Proof of U.S. Citizenship
The Application Form DS-11, the photographs and the appropriate Government fees
The Letter of Authorization
The Proof of Departure (Itinerary)

The following items must be placed inside your Fed Ex package to TDS:

The second copy of the Application Form DS-11 (unsigned)
The second copy of the Letter of Authorization (must be signed)
The photocopy of the Proof of Departure (Itinerary)

 

Shipping Address

Please forward the completed requirements detailed above to:
TRAVEL DOCUMENT SYSTEMS, INC.,
3 Embarcadero Center
Lobby Level, Suite 2
San Francisco, Ca 94111

URGENT APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE SHIPPED TO TDS USING ONLY THE FEDEX COMPANY

 

FedEx Fees

FedEx Return Shipping
Continental USA Only Price
Next Business Day - up to 3 passports $23.00
Next Business Day - 4 or more passports $26.00
Saturday Delivery $39.00
Alaska, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, USVI Price
Next Day Letter (No Saturday Delivery) $39.00
International Price
Call for a quote. Call.

 

Additional Helpful Information

Urgent issue applications (which may be issued in 24 Hrs) require proof of departure within 10 business days of being submitted to the passport agency and MUST be shipped to TDS using only the FEDEX Company.
Other urgent applications can be issued as fast as 3 - 4 business days, less urgent applications are issued within 5 - 10 business days.
TDS expedites applications by hand carrying them to the U.S. Passport Agency, and following up on the progress. Please note that TDS is not in a position to be able to offer any guarantees of passports to be issued by a specific date. Issue is determined by urgency of your departure.
Your application will be hand carried to the Passport Agency in San Francisco. There the Passport Agent will examine the application and if all documents are in order, assign a date the passport will be issued, according to departure date. U.S. Passport applications submitted by mail to passport agencies routinely take 6 to 8 weeks to be processed.

PLEASE FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. MISSING OR INCORRECT INFORMATION MAY RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT DELAYS

 

Register with U.S. Embassy

Register with US Embassy