Avoid These 9 Common Passport Application Mistakes

Applying for a new passport might seem like a fairly straightforward undertaking, but even small errors can delay the process and potentially derail your travel plans.

“Mistakes can force people to cancel their vacations and trips because they didn’t receive their passport back in time, losing people money and precious time,” David Alwadish, the founder and CEO of the passport and visa concierge service ItsEasy.com, told HuffPost. “Time is of the essence and of utmost importance when it comes to applying for a renewed passport. But these errors could result in a ‘suspense,’ adding three to four weeks to the government-quoted processing time frames.”

To help people avoid extra processing time and additional procedural hassles, we asked experts to share the classic mistakes that delay passport applications and issuances.

“By learning about these common errors, people can prevent these mistakes and receive their renewed passports as quickly as possible,” Alwadish noted.

“Not all passport photos are accepted,” Alwadish said. “Per the Department of State, the No. 1 reason passport applications are suspended or put on hold is noncompliant photos. Just because a store, pharmacy or facility sells passport photos does not mean their employee took a qualifying photo that meets the government’s standards.”

The State Department website provides a list of guidelines for acceptable passport photos, including the requirement that the subject look straight ahead and directly face the camera. The head must be centered and not too large or small, and the photo shouldn’t be of poor quality, with blurriness, graininess, overexposure, etc.

Other guidelines pertain to eyeglasses, head coverings, filters and facial expressions. It’s important to keep your expression neutral in your passport photo.

“A common mistake people make is smiling wide and proud in their passport photos,” said travel expert Katy Nastro, a spokesperson for the travel site Going. “Smiling in a passport photo can delay the application process or renewal. If the State Department deems the photo is too exaggerated, this can delay getting your passport in hand and potentially mean submitting another photo.”

“Another mistake would involve issues with the check,” Alwadish said. “Maybe the check provided by the applicant was for an incorrect amount based on the government fees required.”

For adults renewing or applying for a passport book for the first time, the government fee is $130. A passport card is an additional $30, and there’s also an optional fee for expedited service.

“Check has to be a clean check, with no crossing out of any kind,” Alwadish noted. “A neat address correction or entry is usually acceptable. No alterations of material information or pricing are allowed.”

He noted that the government also will not accept starter checks, and the payee must must be properly noted as the U.S. Department of State.

“Issues arise when material information on the application is different from the current passport,” Alwadish noted. “For example, the full name or date of birth was entered differently than they were entered on the applicant’s previous passport ― i.e., the applicant left off their middle name, changed the middle name to an initial or vice versa, entered an entirely different name, or left off the suffix that was on their most recently issued passport, etc.”

If you changed your name or need to correct an error on your most recent passport, you must also submit documentation of proof ― like an original birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce certificate or court order. Failure to do so might result in the need to make a personal appearance to address the issue.

“These are sophisticated documents, and in many cases, most applicants do not want to relinquish the original version of their documents,” Alwadish said. “The problem arises when the applicants unknowingly submit a mere photocopy of the original, or an uncertified copy. The renewal application is suspended and unexpectedly delayed until a new original and certified version is submitted to the Department of State.”

“If someone has been issued a passport book and/or passport card and is requesting renewed versions of them, they each must be submitted with the application,” Alwadish noted. “When the State Department receives a renewal application and notices the book or card ‘requested’ was not submitted, but their records indicate the person previously had it, the renewal will be delayed until rectified.”

If your passport book or card has been lost or stolen, there is another procedure you can follow to get a new one. But keep in mind that you will no longer be following the simpler mail-in renewal process.

“Sometimes people never realized or forgot that a passport card was issued to them with their most recent passport book,” Alwadish said. “In some cases, the applicants incorrectly think they can send in an older prior passport, or they accidentally do that in error, only to have their passport application delayed until the situation is rectified.”

“Many applicants don’t realize the importance of entering an accurate Social Security number or entering it completely,” Alwadish explained. “Identity theft is clearly a popular phenomenon, so it’s understandable that individuals would be paranoid about revealing their personal Social Security number. However, in granting the issuance of a new United States passport, the Department of State mandates the entry of your Social Security number and requires that it be accurate based upon what they have already on file.”

He noted that some applicants reluctantly begin to fill out their Social Security number but then don’t complete this field. But submitting an incomplete number will delay processing.

“Also, unsigned or undated applications will most assuredly delay the processing of the application until a new application is signed and dated,” he said.

The State Department will also check to see if your signature on the application matches what’s on your previous passport.

“Your signature is your seal of identity,” Alwadish said. “Keep it consistent to avoid unnecessary delays. Sometimes people sign their old passport with a dramatic signature, and 10 years later sign their new passport with a different, more subdued type of signature. If there is a radical difference in signature styles, the Department of State may flag the application.”

If your signature has changed from a clearly written name to a little squiggle or design, you might also want to submit a note attesting to the fact that your signature has changed, alongside a copy of your driver’s license showing a similar signature.

Don’t try to submit an e-signature on your passport application.

“For any passport-related forms, only a live ink signature will be accepted,” Alwadish noted. “E-signed documents are not acceptable.”

Although you can fill out much of the application on a computer, you will need to print it out and sign the form with a pen before submitting it to the State Department.

“Many people get argumentative about this because they are so used to e-signatures being commonly accepted to sign contracts,” Alwadish added. “In the digital age, we often forget the power of pen and paper.”

On the topic of your signature, don’t try to use ink that isn’t black or blue.

“Another frequent and creative twist in signing a government passport application is the applicant’s use of colored ink, which is absolutely unacceptable,” Alwadish said. “We have seen virtually every color in an artist pen set used to sign a passport application. Most amusing to find, and immediately spottable, is the use of any other color besides black and dark blue, which, again, is simply unacceptable.”

Although you should sign your passport application by hand, the rest of the form should be filled out online via the State Department website.

“Government agents are able to simply and quickly scan barcoded applications without getting bogged down with the manual data entry of a handwritten or typewritten application,” Alwadish explained.

Although the government can make accommodations for those who do not have access to a computer or printer or the ability to use the technology, he advised against filling out your application by hand or with a typewriter if possible. If you do fill it out by hand, though, you must use black ink.

Alwadish noted that the State Department’s Form Filler generates a barcode at the top of the application that makes the process much quicker.

“Handwritten forms can generate numerous typos or mistakes, delaying an application,” Alwadish said. “While typewritten applications are easier for the passport agent to read and process than handwritten applications, without the special government scannable barcode, the agent still must retype the typewritten application.”