Frequently Asked Questions for Passports

Most foreign countries now require more than 6 months’ validity on your passport. If you have less than 6 months left on your passport you run the risk of being turned away at check-in from your airline. Worst case scenario, you’re allowed to board onto your plane here in the US but not allowed to enter the foreign country once you go through immigration. You will need to fly back home and possibly at your expense. If you need to travel soon, please call us. We can process your renewal as quickly as you need it, even same day if necessary--just let us know.

Yes! You can smile, as long as it is a natural smile. If the Department of State feels it is overbearing, they may deny it. As for attire, try to stay away from all-white shirts, uniforms, or camouflage clothing. If you are local to The Woodlands, Texas, there is no appointment necessary for a photo at our office. Stop on by and we will be glad to assist you.

Yes, you need a check or money order. The Department of State fee cannot be paid with credit cards or cash. If you do not have checks, your bank, local supermarket, or gas station can help you with a money order. Do not write out your check or money order until instructed to do so by an acceptance agent.

No, if you were born in the US, you must present a long-form certified birth certificate when you apply for your passport. It must be issued by the county of your birth and must list your full parents’ information. If you need a birth certificate, we highly recommend www.vitalchek.com; they can expedite your request in as early as a few days. No, a social security card does not prove you are a US Citizen.
Yes, if you are traveling out of the United States and entering a foreign country, a passport will be required for entry. Immigration officials will stamp entry and exit stamps on your passport when exiting and re-entering the country. This pertains to anyone regardless of age. Yes, even infants now require passports. Some countries will also require an additional entry permit, like a visa. Please contact our company prior to travel; one of our passport specialists will be happy to check any passport or visa requirements for you.
Yes, you do. We understand this concerns you. However, the Department of State will not issue a passport to you without confirming your identity. Your social security number is also tied into several background checks they perform to verify if you qualify for a passport.

PassportWorld's quickest turnaround time is same-day service. This service is only processed at our Woodlands TX Office and is only submitted to the Department of State at 7am with a pick up time of 4:30-5:00pm in our office. We also have six different processing speeds to choose from. Please call us if you have any questions.

If your cruise is a closed-loop cruise, departing from a US port and returning to a US port, then you do not require a passport. However, if you miss your port of call and your ship leaves you behind, you will need a passport to fly to the next stop of your cruise itinerary or return home. If there is a medical emergency on the ship and you need to be flown to the nearest hospital, a passport will be required for entry. Some cruise lines highly recommend you obtain a passport to even participate in certain offshore excursions.
We strictly go by appointment only. Our appointments will always be given the priority and they will not be left waiting for walk-ins. If you walk in, you run the risk of being turned away after waiting hours for a possible opening. We do try to accommodate everyone as much as possible. Please call us at (713) 961-3131 to avoid the long wait or the distress of being turned away.
Parents that are not listed on the birth certificate cannot provide consent. The Department of State cannot verify if this person is the parent since they are non-existent on the child's birth documents. Only the parent listed will be required to be present and apply with the child.

Unfortunately, the statistics of obtaining a passport for your child to leave the US without the legal parents’ consent is 20%. Your options are using the DS-5525 Special Family Circumstance Form. This form will ask you for detailed information on how you have gone about trying to contact this person.

  • By mail: list address, number of times mailed, approximate dates, and result
  • By phone: list number, number of times called, approximate dates, and result
  • By email: list email, number of times emailed, approximate dates, and result
  • By social media: account you tried to reach, approximate dates, and result
  • By friend or relative: name, how you've contacted them, dates, and result
  • Last known address of the missing parent

The Department of State will then in turn research the above statements, and if they find the parent, they will deny your application and request you to obtain consent. We have had clients come in with parents outside of the US and the Department of State has still found them. If you simply do not want to reach them, your request will be denied. Please do not go about this route if you know where the person is. If they are in jail, obtain consent. The only other way to get around this is if you have a certified family court order stating you can order the passport for the children and take them out of the country.

The short answer is yes. If you lose your passport more than twice in your lifetime, the Department of State could penalize you. Instead of issuing you a full-validity passport (5 years for minors or 10 years for adults), they could issue you a 1-year passport and still charge you the full government fee. They can also penalize you further and refuse you a passport altogether while keeping your government fee. Losing a passport is a huge offense and they take it very seriously.
As of January 1, 2016, you can no longer add pages to your passport. Please follow the instructions for renewing your passport.

Email us! We do check our emails after business hours. Please note, if your email is simply concerning status or you are just trying to schedule an appointment we will respond during business hours. If you have an emergency we will answer you. Send an email to Cynthia Shea or Tim Shea at the following email addresses: cynthia.shea@passportworld.com or tshea@passportworld.com.

You can renew your passport as long as you answer yes to the following questions:

  • Has your passport been expired less than 5 years?
  • Was your passport 10-year passport?
  • Do you still have your most recent passport in your possession?
  • Is your passport still in good condition?

If you answered yes to all 4 questions you qualify for renewal. Please follow our renewal instructions to complete your passport processing.

If your probation officer writes a letter on your behalf stating you can leave the US, then you can get a passport. However, if you have a warrant out for your arrest, your passport will be denied.
If your name has changed recently, you will need to provide proof of name change. This will need to be in a court order, certified marriage license, or certified divorce decree. Your documents MUST HAVE an elevated court seal. Our divorced clients tend to bring in copies sent by their attorneys to their emails. This will not work since it is not a certified court document with an elevated seal. If you need to obtain a court-certified document, please visit the courthouse where your hearing took place and order one. Certified marriage license copies can be obtained from the county the license was provided. Your original documents will need to be sent in for verification. They will be returned to you once your passport is completed.
You will need to apply using a previous passport or your certified birth certificate to prove you are a US citizen. Government forms DS11 and DS64 will be required as well. Please follow our lost/stolen passport instructions to reapply for your new passport.
PassportWorld can process requests from any state. It makes no difference where you live as long as you have the correct requirements. Please call us with any questions.
Short answer is no. However, some states will require an ID for children 15 and over for the Oath Execution portion at the courthouse/post office. As of now, The Woodlands, TX, office and our Frisco, TX, office do not require IDs. However, our Miami/ Coral Gables acceptance facility does require IDs for ages 15 and over. Call us if you have any questions.
To obtain your passport you will need to present your Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Form FS-240 provided to your parents at the time of your birth from the US Embassy. If your parents never declared your birth abroad, you can still obtain your passport by proving your citizenship as a "Naturalization through Parent." At least one parent had to of been a US Citizen before your birth abroad. Please call us for the steps on acquiring your passport via this method. The list is extensive.
You would need to reapply with USCIS directly by filing Form N-565. An appointment and new biometrics will possibly be required. The Department of State understands this process can take months, so you can request from USCIS directly to write a letter on your behalf stating that you have begun the process of applying for your replacement certificate, and they must certify that you are a US citizen. This letter must have an official Government Seal/Notary.

Yes, you can be denied a passport if you owe child support. Texas is a zero-balance state, meaning if you have any balance and you are on the arrears list for non-payment, you will be denied a passport. If you are making payments or have payment arrangements in place with HHS then you should be fine. If you would like to confirm if you are on the Arrears List with Health and Human Services, please call (512) 460-6680.

If you applied for a passport already and were denied, your application and government fees will stay on hold for a period of 90 days from the date of your IRL letter (denial letter emailed to you by the Department of State).

If the Department of Health and Human Services notifies the Department of State that you have made satisfactory payment arrangements and or your balance is brought down to $0.00, then you can re-submit your application by the deadline. Please allow 5-10 business days from the date of payment to give HHS enough time to notify Passport Services. If the HHS guidelines are not, met then your government fee will be lost and you will need to reapply again once payment has been made. Please note the Department of State or PassportWorld cannot change, override, or appeal this policy.

We try to anticipate any questions you might have about our services and provide the answers here. However, if you need additional information please call us at (713) 961-3131, or you can send an email to Cynthia Shea or Tim Shea at the following email addresses: cynthia.shea@passportworld.com or tshea@passportworld.com. And yes, we are workaholics and we constantly check our emails even after business hours. Just email away!