Passport Information

Hello, 

Ahead of a busy travel season and the summer, I wanted to share some important and relevant U.S. passport information and answers to frequently asked questions.  

If you have any questions or casework needs, please feel free to reach out to my District Office at 510-763-0370 or visit our website.  

Thank you,  

Congresswoman Simon 

Know Before You Travel: U.S. Passport Information 

• For planned international travel, it is highly recommended to enroll in the Department of State’s “Smart Traveler Enrollment Program” (STEP) receive updates from the local U.S. embassy or consulate.  

• If you have submitted an urgent and emergency passport renewal and have NOT received confirmed receipt and status update, contact Congresswoman Simon’s Office immediately for assistance.  

• Please note that some countries require that your passport have at least six months of validity beyond the dates of your trip, and certain airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met. It is recommended you contact your airline to confirm your passport eligibility if the remaining validity is less than a year. It is also recommended that you review the U.S. Department of State’s Destination Information Page for all international travel for information on travel, security, and destination conditions. 

Urgent and Emergency Cases

If you have an urgent need to travel and need to renew your passport, the U.S. Department of State will rush your documentation under the following circumstances: 

 Life-or-Death Emergency (must have an appointment and proof of international travel itinerary) 

• You may qualify for a life-or-death emergency appointment if you need to travel to a foreign country in the next 14 days because your immediate family member outside of the United States: 

  • Has died, or 

  • Is dying (in hospice care), or 

  • Has a life-threatening illness or injury 

• Who qualifies as an “immediate family member”? 

  • Parent or Legal Guardian 

  • Child 

  • Spouse 

  • Sibling 

  • Grandparent 

  • *The Department of State does not consider aunts, uncles, cousins, or other relatives to be immediate family members. 

  • If you are traveling to another country for medical services, you will not qualify for life-or-death emergency service.   

• Gather documentation such as: 

  • Death certificate; 

  • Statement from a mortuary; 

  • Letter from the hospital. The letter must be on hospital letterhead, signed by a doctor, and explain your relative’s medical condition. 

  • If the document is not in English, it must be translated by a professional translator. 

Urgent Travel in less than 2-3 weeks (must make an appointment with proof of international travel itinerary). 

• Since the total time to get a passport includes processing and mailing times, the Department of State does not recommend you mail your passport application if you are traveling in less than 2-3 weeks.  

Expedited - Travel is in less than 6 weeks. 

• Expedited service takes 2-3 weeks and does not include mailing times. Mailing times may add 2 weeks on to the total time to get your passport. 

• You can expedite at an acceptance facility or expedite a renewal by mail. 

Appointment Scheduling Check List 

Please gather all necessary documents and try to schedule your appointment before your international travel. Follow these steps: 

1. Complete a passport application, get a passport photo, and government issued photo ID. 

2. To make a passport appointment: 

   1. First, try to make an appointment online if you have not applied for a passport.  

   2. If you are unable to get an appointment online or you have already applied for a passport and would like a status update: 

      1. Complete Congresswoman Lateefah Simon’s “Help with a Federal Agency” Form. 

      2. Call 1-877-487-2778 Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call 1-888-874-7793 for TDD/TTY teletype services. 

      3. Call 202-647-4000 Saturdays, Sundays, federal holidays, and after 8:00 p.m. ET Monday-Friday. Do not call this number between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. ET Monday-Friday, or if you need Urgent Travel Service. 

If you are looking to apply for a child's passport (Under 16):  

1. Both parents or guardians must give consent for a child to receive a passport and must be present with the child when applying. 

   1. If one or both parents or guardians cannot be present with the child, more documentation will be required. 

2. Please note that a child's passport cannot be renewed using Form DS-82. 

   1. Instead, print and complete Form DS-11 here or complete form online. 

   2. Passports for children under age 16 are valid for 5 years. 

   3. To learn more visit this site.