What to Bring to an Expedited Passport Appointment?

What to bring to an expedited passport appointment at a U.S. passport agency: a printed copy of your appointment confirmation, printed proof of your international travel, original evidence of U.S. citizenship, a current photo ID, photocopies of both the citizenship document and your ID, your completed but unsigned application form, one passport photo meeting federal specs, and a credit or debit card for the $190 fee. Missing any one of these can cost you the appointment.

The Core Checklist

Printed appointment confirmation email
Printed proof of international travel within 14 days (or a foreign visa need within 28 days)
Original U.S. citizenship evidence
Current photo ID
Photocopies of the citizenship document and both sides of the ID, on 8.5-by-11-inch paper, single-sided
Completed application form (DS-11 or DS-82), unsigned
One 2-by-2-inch color passport photo
A credit card, debit card, or contactless payment method for $190

Anything specific to your situation, such as a child’s application, a name change, or a lost passport, adds to this list. Those extras are covered further down.

Appointment Confirmation and Travel Proof

Passport agencies serve only customers with appointments who are traveling internationally within 14 calendar days, or who need a foreign visa within 28 calendar days.¹ Bring a printed copy of the confirmation email you received when you booked the slot.

What counts as travel proof depends on how you’re going. If you’re flying, bring a flight receipt or itinerary. If you’re driving or taking a boat to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean, a hotel reservation, cruise or bus tickets, or international car insurance will do. The word to notice is “printed.” Do not plan to pull anything up on your phone at the window.

Proof of U.S. Citizenship

Bring an original document, not a photocopy. If you were born in the United States, that is typically your birth certificate issued by the city, county, or state where you were born. It must show your full name, date of birth, place of birth, your parents’ full names, the registrar’s signature, the date it was filed (within one year of birth), and the issuing authority’s seal or stamp.²

Other acceptable documents include a full-validity, undamaged U.S. passport (valid 10 years for adults, or 5 years if issued before age 16), a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Certificate of Naturalization, or a Certificate of Citizenship.² The photocopy goes in separately with your application.

Photo ID and Photocopies

A valid driver’s license or enhanced driver’s license is the most commonly accepted photo ID. If your license was issued by a state other than the one where you’re applying, bring a second photo ID as backup.³

You also need photocopies of your citizenship evidence and the front and back of your photo ID. Use standard 8.5-by-11-inch paper and print on only one side.³ Make the copies before you leave home. Passport agencies do not make copies for you, and hunting for a printer near the building while your slot ticks away is a bad way to start.

Application Form

Which form depends on whether you qualify for a renewal. Use Form DS-11 if you’ve never had a passport, your previous one was issued before you turned 16, or it was issued more than 15 years ago.⁴ You may qualify to use Form DS-82 instead if your most recent passport was issued within the last 15 years, was issued when you were 16 or older, and you can submit it with your application.⁵

Fill the form out online and print it, or complete it by hand. Do not sign it ahead of time. The DS-11 instructions specifically say to wait until the authorized agent administers the oath and asks you to sign in their presence.⁶ A pre-signed form can force you to start over with a fresh one.

Passport Photo

Bring one recent color passport photo, 2 by 2 inches, taken against a plain white or off-white background with no shadows or texture. Your expression should be neutral with both eyes open and mouth closed. Remove all eyeglasses, including prescription glasses.⁷ If you cannot remove glasses for medical reasons, include a signed note from your doctor.

Many pharmacies and shipping stores take passport photos and know the current specs. Getting it done a day or two beforehand takes one variable off your plate.

Payment

An adult passport book at a passport agency costs $190 total: a $130 application fee plus a $60 expedite fee.⁸ Passport agencies do not charge the $35 execution fee that acceptance facilities do.

This is where people get caught. Passport agencies accept only credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover), debit cards (Visa or Mastercard), and contactless payments like Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay. They do not accept checks, money orders, or cash.⁹ Bringing a money order made out to the U.S. Department of State, which is what acceptance facilities want, leaves you unable to pay at an agency.

Extra Documents for Special Situations

Applying for a Child Under 16

Children under 16 must apply in person using Form DS-11. Both parents or legal guardians need to appear at the appointment with the child and bring their own photo ID.¹⁰ You also need the child’s birth certificate or other citizenship evidence.

If one parent cannot attend, the absent parent must sign a Statement of Consent (Form DS-3053) before a notary public and provide a photocopy of the ID they showed the notary.¹¹ The notarized form has to be submitted within three months of signing.¹⁰ If one parent has sole legal custody, bring the court order or other proof. If neither parent can attend, both must submit a notarized DS-3053 authorizing the accompanying adult.

Name Changes

If your name has changed since your last passport, bring the original or a certified copy of the legal document showing the change. A marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order of a name change all qualify.¹² A religious marriage certificate alone is generally not enough; the document needs to come from a government authority.

Lost or Stolen Passports

If your most recent passport was lost or stolen and has not yet expired, submit a completed Form DS-64, Statement Regarding a Lost or Stolen Passport, along with your DS-11 application.¹³ If the lost passport was already expired, you do not need to file DS-64. Reporting a lost valid passport puts it into a lost-and-stolen database, so file even if you might find it later.

Life-or-Death Emergency Appointments

A faster track exists if an immediate family member outside the United States has died, is dying or in hospice care, or has a life-threatening illness or injury. The State Department limits “immediate family” here to a parent or legal guardian, child, spouse, sibling, or grandparent. Aunts, uncles, and cousins do not qualify.¹⁴

On top of the standard application documents, bring documentation of the emergency itself: a death certificate, a statement from a mortuary, or a letter from a hospital on official letterhead signed by a doctor explaining the relative’s condition. Documents not in English need a professional translation. You also need proof of travel within the next two weeks, such as a flight itinerary or ticket.¹⁴

1
U.S. Department of State. Make an Appointment at a Passport Agency or Center
2
U.S. Department of State. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport
3
U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Adult Passport
4
USAGov. Renew an Adult Passport
5
U.S. Department of State. DS-82 – U.S. Passport Renewal Application for Eligible Individuals
6
U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport – DS-11
7
U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos
8
U.S. Department of State. United States Passport Fees
9
U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
10
U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
11
U.S. Department of State. Form DS-3053 – Statement of Consent: U.S. Passport Issuance to a Child
12
U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport – DS-5504
13
U.S. Department of State. DS-64 Statement Regarding a Lost or Stolen U.S. Passport
14
U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport if you Have a Life-or-Death Emergency