Were You Aware That Customs Won't Accept A Damaged American Passport?
When a passport becomes damaged, it should be replaced with a new one. In most cases, even if the passbook only has slight water damage, airline personnel or security staff will refuse it. This can put quite a damper on the travel plans, so take steps to replace the damaged pass port in advance of traveling.
A damaged passbook is an unacceptable form of documentation and should be surrendered to the government. At the time of surrender, the passbook holder will need to apply for a new passbook. The renewal process will not be relevant to these individuals because the passbook renewal instructions provided by the government state that the most recent passbook must be undamaged in order to obtain renewal.
The person with a damaged passport will need to obtain the DS-11 application document through the State Department Web site, Passport Acceptance Facility, or Passport Agency. The online version of the form may be completed either electronically or by hand, but it must then be printed. It cannot be submitted online, due to current government policy. If the form is completed by hand, the applicant should print legibly, because anything that cannot be read by the government agents will delay processing.
The DS-11 form should not be signed until the applicant is instructed to do so at the Acceptance Facility or Passport Agency. This application form and additional required documentation must be presented in person at one of these locations. The information may not be submitted by mail under any circumstances. When appearing in person, the applicant will also need to provide his or her Social Security number for verification purposes.
The additional documents required are intended to verify identity and provide evidence of United States citizenship for the passport application. Identification documents include a city, county, or state-issued certified birth certificate. Individuals who were born abroad may supply a certificate of citizenship, naturalization certificate,
or consular report of birth abroad or certification of birth. If none of these is available, different types of secondary identification or an identifying witness may be supplied in accordance with the guidelines on the Department of State web site.
Each form of identification must be accompanied by a photocopy of the item. There are very detailed instructions regarding how these photocopies must be made, so applicants should refer to the government Web site. An identifying witness that testifies to the identity of the applicant must submit a photocopy of identification as well. All of these stipulations serve a purpose and that is to verify that the applicant is legitimate.
The application and documentation are not the only items that must be supplied. Payment and identical copies of color photos also need to be presented. The photos must be exactly two by two inches, recently taken, and feature a full-face frontal view. For additional details, refer to the government Web site because submitting photos that do not fall within the guidelines will cause the application to be rejected.
The application fee that should be submitted is $75 plus an additional $25 fee for execution. Getting a passport card in addition to the passbook will cost $20 more. The passport will be mailed to the applicant within six weeks of paperwork submission.
Getting a pasport is not the end of the world, but it does require action on the part of the passbook holder. A completed DS-11 application form, proof of identity, citizenship documentation, and two identical two by two color photographs must be supplied with the passport fee.
The replacement passport should arrive within four to six weeks, allowing the individual to resume international travel.
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