You can pick up a passport application at your local post office or order it online from the U.S. Immigration Support's website. This application has many different things you need to fill out, including your full name, your date of birth, the state where you were born, and your country of nationality. In order to receive a passport, the person applying must be a U.S. citizen. However, there is no age requirement, as any U.S. citizen of any age is entitled to have a passport.
As of May 2010, if you are over 16, the application is going to cost $75 to fill out. If you are under 16, the application is going to cost $60 to fill out. No matter what your age, however, there is also going to be a $25 execution fee. The check for the application fee can be made out to the U.S. Department of State, while the execution fee can be made payable to the local postal office. If you are confused about the application process, you can buy an application guide from the U.S. Immigration Support for $49.95.
Once you have filled out your application, you can submit the application and the respective fees to your local post office. However, along with your application, you will also need to bring a photo ID or any other proof of identity. Social Security cards will also work. Besides that, however, you will also need to bring an extra photo with you which will be included in your passport. You can often schedule this photo at a local photography service which offers passport pictures to the public.
Once you have received your passport, it is valid for 10 years on the date you were issued it. For instance, if you were issued the passport on May 2, 2009, it will be valid until May 1, 2019. The date of issuance is indicated inside your passport along with the expiration date. Once your passport has expired, you will have to fill out another passport application and start the application process over again. On another side note, keep in mind that the policies of some countries will not allow you to visit them until you have had your passport for at least six months.
If you lost your passport, you must contact the U.S. Immigration Department. You can call them at 1-877-487-2778. On top of that, you can also fill out a DS-64 form, which is on the U.S. Department of State's website. Once you have called these numbers or filled out the DS-64, your lost passport is officially invalid. If you are overseas and you lose your passport, you will also need to contact your local U.S. Embassy to pick up the forms to get issuance back into the United States.
