NEW US PASSPORT EXPEDITING INSTRUCTIONS

The first step of the process is making an appointment with your nearest acceptance agent (post office, courthouse, county clerk, etc.).

If you have not yet ordered an expedited new passport service, you can place an order by clicking on this link.

You can apply if at least one of the following describes your situation:

Applying for a passport for the first time at age 16 and over
Previously issued passport was issued at age 15 or under
Previously issued passport was issued more than 15 years ago
Your expired passport is not in your possession
Your current and valid passport is damaged

PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP:

You must provide ONE of the following original documents:

Previous U.S. Passport issued over 15 years ago
Original or Certified Birth Certificate issued by a city, county or state; an original or certified birth certificate (“long form”) issued by the Office of Vital Statistics. A certified birth certificate can be ordered from the office of Vital Statistics in your state of birth. Birth certificates issued by hospitals are not acceptable.
Original certificate of citizenship or FS-240, DS-1350 (if born outside the US)
Original certificate of Naturalization

It is important that birth certificate contains the following:

Applicant’s full name;
Both parents’ names;
Date and place of birth;
Issuing authority’s raised, impressed, multicolored or embossed seal;
Registrar’s signature;
The date the certificate was filed with the office of the registrar (has to be within one year).

2. PROOF OF IDENTITY:

Valid driver’s license
Valid government ID
Valid military ID
Certificate of Naturalization
Previously-issued US passport, if undamaged

3. EVIDENCE OF IMMEDIATE TRAVEL:

Must provide a copy of one of the following:

Trip ticket indicating travel to a foreign country. The ticket does not have to be purchased, it is sufficient to show intent to travel.
Travel Itinerary (organized tours, cruises, etc.).
Business travelers may submit a signed business letter from the employer of themselves detailing upcoming business travel or job description that requires frequent business trips.

Important: if your departure date is more than 14 days away please talk to our agent first.
In case you do not have an airline reservation / itinerary, we can provide one for you for an additional fee. If you would like that, please supply your full name, name of the country you are traveling to and the dates of departure from and return to the US, so we could issue and send it to you before your appointment with the acceptance agent.
Please have two copies of the itinerary — one copy will be sealed by the acceptance agent, and we will need the second one.

4. OFFICIAL NEW PASSPORT APPLICATION FORM

DS-11 application form completed on state.gov (https://pptform.state.gov/)

Please complete the form online and print it, but do not sign until you are in front of the acceptance agent.
Handwritten forms are not acceptable, and providing one will cause delay in processing. If you have completed your application form correctly, it should have a barcode in the top left corner once printed.

5. LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION

Please complete this form by hand, but do not sign it until you are in front of the acceptance agent. This form authorizes us to facilitate expediting of your passport application. Please follow the sample, including name of the company you are authorizing to handle your application (unless the company name is already pre-filled)

Please have two copies of the authorization form, both filled out by hand - one will be sealed by the acceptance agent, and we will need the second one. Do not photocopy the form.

6. PHOTOGRAPHS

Please check out our US Passport Photo Requirements page where we explain to you in detail which photographs are allowed and which are not!

Provide Two Passport Photographs:

Sized 2 x 2 inches
In color
On a plain white or off-white background
Front of the face, fully visible
Eye glasses should not be worn
No hats or head coverings unless worn daily for religious reasons
No headphones or similar devices or accessories
Very sharp quality
Taken within the past 6 months
Printed on a matte or glossy photo paper

7. PASSPORT OFFICE PAYMENT AND VERIFICATION PROCESS

$190 Government fee for the passport book.
You will write a check or purchase a money order to the “US Department of State.” Please write your full name and date of birth on the memo line of the check or money order. If using a personal or business check, the name and address of the account holder have to appear on it. The address can be handwritten if not featured. Temporary checks cannot be used;

$30 Government fee for a Passport Card that allows one to cross borders with Canada and Mexico by land. Passport Card is optional, and if you would like to have one, you need to indicate that when filling out form DS 11 online;

$35 Acceptance agent fee that will be charged when your application is being executed.
The check or money order should not be for an amount smaller or larger than listed above. The acceptance agent may suggest adding a mailing fee (which is unnecessary), and enclosing payment for an incorrect amount will cause delay in processing.

Authorization Process – The Acceptance Agent will verify your identity, review your supporting documents and witness the signing of your application and seal your paperwork in an envelope.

Acceptance Agents are usually found in Passport Acceptance Facilities in local post offices, courthouses and other government offices authorized to accept passport applications. Not every post office/court house is a Passport Acceptance Facility.
Do NOT sign the DS-11 until directed to do so by the Acceptance Agent. You will sign the application after the Acceptance Agent verifies your application. Applicants aged 16 or 17 need a parent to accompany them to co-sign the application.
Tell the Acceptance Agent that a courier service will deliver the materials to the Passport Agency. This Department of State policy is called “Hand Carrying of Executed Applications”. The policy is detailed on page 31 and 44 of the Acceptance Agent Manual.
The Acceptance Agent will check your proof of identity, endorse the documents and seal them in an envelope marked: "To be opened by authorized passport officials only." Do NOT open the envelope after it is sealed!
Do NOT hand your payment of Visa Express expediting service fees to the Acceptance Agent to seal inside the envelope.
Print your name, departure date and date of birth on the outside of the sealed envelope.

8. DELIVERING YOUR DOCUMENTS TO US FOR PROCESSING

Once the above takes place, please deliver (in person or by overnight shipment) the following to our office as soon as possible:

The sealed envelope you obtain from the acceptance agent with your full name, date of birth and travel date written on it.
A copy of your itinerary (unless we provide you with one) in addition to the one inside the sealed envelope
A copy of the Letter of authorization in addition to the one inside the sealed envelope
Payment of Visa Express expediting fee (please choose from the options below:

$675 3−4 bus. days processing
$550 5−6 bus. days processing
$395 10 bus. days processing
$295 15 bus. days processing

We accept credit and debit cards, checks, money orders, ACH wire transfers.

Payment of return shipping fee ($ 40) — can be added to the expediting fee. Your passport will be sent to you via FedEx or UPS overnight delivery. You can also choose to provide your own self-addressed prepaid return envelope using the delivery service of your choice (FedEx, UPS or USPS).
You can save money on shipping fees to us by using our prepaid FEDEX airbill — please contact us before sending your docs if interested.
Payment for any additional services (supplying of a travel itinerary, for example) — can be added to expediting and shipping fees.

We must submit your application within one week from the time it is executed by the acceptance agent. Please check with our office regarding next available appointments for passport expediting.

Address for delivering your sealed envelope and other documents to us:

Atlanta Passport Rush office:
Travel Visa Express
4651 Roswell Road, Suite 309 D
Atlanta, GA 30342
Tel. (404) 827-0099

San Francisco Passport Rush office (use this if applying for urgent processing):
Travel Visa Express
1390 Market Street, Suite 200
San Francisco, CA 94104
Tel. (415) 980-8030

Please call or email us before sending your paperwork to let us know it’s coming.
We need to book a submission slot for your application ahead of time. Only use traceable shipping service.