A passport is essential to have when traveling to another country. If you do not have a passport and are planning a trip abroad, it is possible to get one from your local post office. To ensure that everything goes smoothly when trying to obtain a passport from the post office, a few requirements need to be met.
To obtain a passport from a U.S. post office, it is important to fill out an application form called DS-11 and submit it in person if you are getting your first passport. An application can be found at USPS.com. It can be printed and brought to a post office or you can get one there. If you have a passport but received it more than 15 years ago or when you were younger than age 16, you must renew it by submitting your application in person. You must also pay an application fee.
You must be able to prove that you are a United States citizen by presenting either an old U.S. passport, a birth certificate, a naturalization certificate, a certificate of citizenship or a consular report of birth abroad. If you do not have a birth certificate or other evidence, it is possible to show secondary evidence of citizenship. Some examples are a baptismal certificate, hospital birth certificate, census record, early school record, family bible record or doctor's record of postnatal care. If you were born overseas, you may also submit your foreign birth certificate along with your parents' evidence of U.S. citizenship.
You must present proper identification along with a photocopy of the identification at the time of your application. Examples are a valid driver's license, a current government ID, a current military ID or a naturalization certificate. If you have an out-of-state driver's license, you must submit a second form of identification as well. If you do not have the proper identification, you can submit secondary identification including a combination of documents that show your signature, such as a Social Security card, a credit card, an employee ID and a library card. You can also bring an identifying witness who can prove your identification. He or she must have known you for at least two years, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, have a valid ID and fill out a special form in the presence of a postal employee.
You must submit two identical photos of yourself for your passport. The photos must be 2 inches by 2 inches, taken within six months of the day you are applying for a passport and show a full frontal view of your face. You must be wearing regular street clothes, and if you normally wear glasses or hearing devices, you should be wearing them in your photo.
