A passport is a document, normally in the form of a small book that has several functions. A passport enables a person to travel outside of the borders of their home country. Although a passport does not automatically grant the holder the right to enter any country, US and Canadian passport holders can travel to many countries without obtaining any further documentation (such as visas) prior to taking the trip. A passport also functions as proof of citizenship, so a person holding a U.S. Passport is internationally recognized as a US citizen. In cases when visas are required, the visa stamps or stickers are placed on the pages of the passport. Border control officials will also stamp the pages of the passport with entry and exit stamps upon entering or exiting a country.

A passport's validity is generally determined by the applicant's age. In the US, passports issued for adults ages 16 and older are valid for 10 years. Children 15 years of age and under receive passports valid for 5 years. There are two primary exceptions to this rule: a second passport is valid for 2 years and an emergency passport is valid for 1 year. In some instances, when replacing a lost passport, for example, the Department of State may issue a passport with lesser validity (usually 1 or 2 years).

You will need a passport to travel every time you leave the United States or its territories. There is one exception to this rule for American citizens, traveling by land or sea to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda - a passport card can be used.

Passport applications may be denied or rejected for several reasons. The most common reason is missing the necessary documents - if the Birth Certificate (when required), the Letter of Authorization, proper photographs, correct fee, or the itinerary are missing. Also, passports will be denied for the following reasons: outstanding child support, outstanding felony/criminal warrant (not including civil infractions or parking tickets), or prior felony conviction that prohibits international travel. Please be advised that the Department of State has the right to request additional documents at their discretion.

Passport Acceptance Facility is a place where you can apply for a U.S. Passport. In general, they are located within your local post office or county clerk.

You can find the nearest Passport Acceptance Facility by going to http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/ and entering your zip code. You may be required to call the facility to make an appointment.

If you are applying for a new passport or replacing a lost passport, you must appear in person at the nearest Passport Acceptance Facility. This is necessary for the Acceptance Agent to verify your identity. You will be asked to swear an oath that you have been honest in your application, and you will need to sign the application in front of the Acceptance Agent (please do not sign the application before you get there!). Once the Acceptance Agent is satisfied and your identity has been confirmed, he or she will seal the appropriate documents into an envelope. It is this envelope that you must send to PassportMax.com for expedited processing.

If you need to change the name in your passport, and your passport is less than one year old, use Form DS-5504. If your current passport is more than one year old and you wish to change the name, you will need to apply for Passport Renewal. You will need to submit the original court document indicating the name change or original marriage certificate, along with your current passport and other supporting documents.

Second passports are often requested by those who travel frequently. If you are unable to wait for a visa to be issued you may request a second passport in order to travel while getting a visa for your next destination at the same time. Another reason to apply for a second passport is for travelers who have Israeli stamps in their current passport but who also need to travel to countries where any evidence of travel to Israel will bar you from entry. When approved, second passports are usually only issued for two years but may be extended.

Yes, in most cases, the Department of State will return the old, canceled passport. However, the decision to return or destroy a canceled passport is entirely at the discretion of the Department of State. If the passport is damaged, the Department of State will usually destroy the passport rather than return it.

Unfortunately, we cannot. If you have submitted an application directly to your local post office, we are unable to assist you. You must call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778.

Yes. Sign your own name and print your child's.

Your documents are sealed so that the Department of State can be sure that no one has tampered with your application. Once the envelope is sealed, do not open it, or you will have to start the entire process over again.

PassportMax.com is a private company that provides a way for you to obtain a passport faster than if you were to go directly through the post office (which is usually a 4-8 week process). You will still need to pay the Department of State their fee for issuing a passport, which is why a check or money order made payable to the Department of State is a part of the application. You will also need to pay a fee to PassportMax.com so that we may expedite the process; this fee is paid online when you complete our order form.

The Department of State fee for expedited processing is $170 for an adult. When you complete the application for the Department of State, there is a page that breaks down the fees associated with this process. The basic fee for getting a passport is $110. To get a passport application processed faster, you must pay the Department of State??

The Letter of Authorization enables PassportMax.com to apply for a passport on your behalf. The letter is available for download on all our passport pages: Letter of Authorization.

Asylees are subject to special rules with regard to traveling outside the United States. If an asylee plans to depart the United States, he or she generally must obtain permission to return to the United States before departure by obtaining a Refugee Travel Document (RTD).

An official Certificate of Birth should be on file in the locality where the event occurred. The Federal Government does not maintain files or indexes of these records. These records are filed permanently in a State vital statistics office or in a city, county, or other local office. To obtain a certified copy of the Birth Certificate, write or go to the vital statistics office in the State or area where you were born. For more information please visit Where To Write For Vital Records or for expedited services you can use VitalChek's express certificate ordering service.

No. You must use the original forms downloaded from the State Department website.

Our brief and secure registration allows you to view the progress of applications online, to easily apply for more than one visa at a time, and to store an applicant profile for future visas. If you choose not to register, you can still follow the progress of your application with email updates from PassportMax.com.

PassportMax.com will make every effort to ensure that you get your passport or visa in time for your trip. Processing times listed on our website are provided by the Embassies and the Department of State under normal circumstances. PassportMax.com cannot always guarantee, however, that your passport or visa will be returned to you by a certain date, because it is ultimately at the discretion of the Passport Agency or Embassy as to when your passport or visa will be released. Sometimes these agencies become overwhelmed with the amount of applications they receive and this translates into longer processing times. Also, processing officers, at their sole discretion, may request additional documents. In such cases processing time will also be extended. Often, embassies give last minute updates on closure dates related to national holidays or other public events. Equipment failure is also among the causes that can trigger a delay. Such last minute changes are impossible to predict and may extend the processing times. Nevertheless, we do our absolute best to get the paperwork processed on time and without delay.

PassportMax.com maintains the most extensive database of all embassies and consulates around the world. Please visit Embassy Row for Embassy contact information. We also offer free access to the basic customs regulations database: Customs Regulations

Yes, with the possible exception of Australia, visas to all countries require the passport to be in our possession. We have to submit the passport, the application and other documents to the Embassy where the consular officer will stamp the visa onto one of the pages of the passport. When the visa is ready, we will pickup the passport with the visa stamped in it and will mail it back to you according to the shipping option you selected.

Yes, you can send and receive your documents in one package to save on shipping charges.

Processing times for visas and passports quoted by PassportMax.com are approximate and based on processing times provided by Embassies and the Department of State under normal circumstances. Processing time should be calculated starting the next business day following the date when documents are delivered to PassportMax office.

Example 1: A China visa application with Same Day processing time that is received by our office on Tuesday will be submitted to the Chinese Embassy on Wednesday morning and, pending approval of the visa, will be returned to our office Wednesday afternoon. If you have the overnight delivery option selected, you will receive your visa on Thursday.

Example 2: A Russian visa application with 3 business day processing time that is received by our office on Tuesday will be submitted to the Russian Embassy on Wednesday morning and, pending approval of the visa, will be returned to our office Monday afternoon of the following week. If you have overnight delivery option selected, you will receive your visa on Tuesday (the day after it was returned to our office).