Answer: A passport book is valid for all international travel by air, sea, or land anywhere in the world. A passport card is a wallet-sized card that is only valid for land border crossings (driving) and sea ports of entry when traveling between the United States and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. It cannot be used for international air travel.

Answer: No. The U.S. Department of State requires a physical, professional-grade photograph printed on high-quality matte or glossy photo paper. It must be exactly 2 x 2 inches with a plain white background, taken within the last 6 months, and completely unfiltered. You cannot wear glasses, hats, or uniforms in the photo.

Answer: To qualify for expedited hand-carry courier services, you must prove that you are traveling internationally within the next 14 calendar days (or 28 days if you also require a foreign visa for your trip). You must provide official proof of this travel, such as a flight itinerary, hotel booking (for land borders), or an urgent corporate business letter.

Answer: An adjudication envelope (or hand-carry packet) is a secure, legally sealed envelope prepared by an authorized government Acceptance Agent (usually at a designated Post Office or County Clerk's office). The agent verifies your identity and seals your DS-11 application, original citizenship documents, and fees inside. Do NOT open this envelope under any circumstances. Opening the seal immediately invalidates the application, and our couriers will not be able to submit it.

Answer: Yes. The Department of State requires original or certified copies of your citizenship documents (such as your long-form birth certificate or naturalization certificate) to prevent fraud. These original documents are mailed back to you securely. If you order both a passport book and card, your documents, book, and card may arrive in up to three separate mailings.

Answer: If your primary Driver’s License or State ID card was issued within the last 6 months, the government requires additional identity verification. You must submit two (2) secondary forms of identification alongside it (expired IDs are acceptable). It is highly recommended that one of these secondary documents be your physical Social Security Card; other options include employee IDs, student IDs, or older licenses.

Answer: No. When using a local acceptance facility to seal your documents for a courier service, the primary government fee must be paid strictly via a personal check or cashier's check made payable exactly to the "U.S. Department of State". Cash, credit cards, and digital payments are not accepted for this fee. (Note: The separate execution fee paid directly to the local facility can usually be paid via credit card or cash, depending on the location.

Answer: Yes, most likely. Many foreign countries strictly enforce a "6-month validity rule." This means they will deny you entry or refuse to let you board your flight if your passport expires less than 3 to 6 months from your date of arrival. It is always safest to urgently renew or apply for a new passport if you have less than 6 months of validity remaining.

Answer: White-out and hand-written corrections are not permitted on official passport applications. If you make an error, you must reprint the page and fill out that section cleanly. For the fastest and most accurate processing, always use the official online Department of State form filler tool to type your information before printing the application single-sided.

Answer: No. Per Department of State security and manufacturing protocols, passport books and passport cards are produced at different facilities. If you order the combo package, your passport book will be shipped via our expedited 1-2 day delivery hub, while your passport card will be shipped separately via standard First Class Mail and typically arrives 7 to 10 days after your book.