Is Question #19 ("Travel Plans") a required field on Form DS-11?
by Jay
(Indianapolis, IN, USA)
Question: I want to renew my passport but the exact date of departure and my length of trip are uncertain at this point. I don't understand why a document entitling me to travel abroad for 10 years requires details about a particular trip, since it may be the first of many I will take using this passport. Please explain.
Answer: You are not required to provide travel plans in order to apply for a passport unless you plan to expedite the process. Applicants who request expedited services are required to prove the need for emergency expediting.
Interestingly, this used to not be the case. An article in the June 11, 1957 issue of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette stated, "You may not ask for a passport just in order to keep it on hand, if you have no travel plans."
The U.S. government now realizes that emergencies and unexpected opportunities for travel abroad arise that require U.S. citizens to possess valid passports. The best policy is to have a valid passport on hand even if you have no immediate travel plans.
You can just write "NA" in the blanks for Question #19.
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Expedited service takes from 7 to 9 weeks excluding mailing times on the front and back end. Current mailing delays are significant. Requesting 1-2-day mailing service is recommended.
Regional passport agencies are offering two types of appointments: Life-of-Death Emergency Service and Urgent Travel Service.
Life-or-death emergencies are serious illnesses, injuries, or deaths in your immediate family (parent, legal guardian, child, spouse, sibling, and grandparent) that require you to travel outside the United States within 3 business days.
If you need to travel due to a qualified life-or-death emergency, please call the National Passport Information Center for an appointment:
Mondays through Fridays 8 A.M. to 8 P.M. ET, call 1-877-487-2778 (TDD/TTY:1-888-874-7793) Outside of these hours, call 202-647-4000.
For Urgent Travel Service, you need to call 14 days before your scheduled international travel or 28 days if you also need to secure a foreign visa.
If you need to travel urgently for reasons other than a life-or-death emergency, please call the NPIC at 1-877-487-2778 Mondays through Fridays 8 A.M. to 10 P.M. ET.
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