A Damaged Passport Is Not Good To Travel With

If you have scheduled a trip overseas and you have a damaged passport, you definitely want to take care of it before leaving the US. First of all, you may not even be able to depart if your passport is mutilated and second, you do not want to take the chance of being on foreign soil without proper identification of your nationality. Before you set out to your passport agency, there are a number of documents you can prepare ahead of time to make your trip run smoothly.

In order to have your damaged passport replaced, you have to fill out a DS-11 form. You can get this form from the Department of State online. You can actually fill in your information and print out the finished product. You will have five days from the date on your application to officially submit your paperwork to the Department of State. If you cannot do this within the five days, that particular application will no longer be valid.

Do not sign this form until you standing in front of a certified official, either at a passport agency or an Acceptance Agency. It will do you no good if you sign it before you are in the presence of an official, you will just have to fill out another form. Be advised that once you have filled out this application it can only be submitted to the State Department within five days of the date on the application.

The DS-64 is another essential document you have to have prepared. It is a statement for a missing, stolen or damaged passport. You need to complete this form with precision. You are required to report with accuracy how your passport was damaged. Be as precise as you possibly can.

You also have to have U. S. nationality evidence. Acceptable forms of proof include a certified birth certificate, or documentation from the USCIS of naturalization or citizenship. Two color photos are required, set at the State Department's standards of 2' x 2' layout with a simple white background. It also has to be a recent photo taken in the last few months and no longer than six months old.

If you need of your passport quickly, you will have to provide proof of your flight information in order to have your replacement expedited. You will have to pay additional fees for this. The standard fee for a non-expedited replacement passport is $135.00. You can pay this by money order or check and if going through the process in person, you may be able to pay with a credit card. All checks or money orders must be made payable to the Department of State.

If you have damaged your passport while outside of the United States, you will have to visit the U. S. Embassy or Consulate in the country you are in. You will still have to provide the DS-11 and DS-62 forms (although some questions may not be applicable in your situation), as well as other documents validating identity.

Other passport documentation you will have to provide is verification of US nationality, two standard passport photos, current ID, social security number; and your damaged passport has to be present so it can be taken in turn for a replacement. In order to safeguard yourself from accidents make sure you copy all of your paperwork that you submit.