Passport Name Change Application: Simpler Than You Would Have Ever Imagined
There are instances where an individual must alter their name on their existing passport. The most frequent of these is due to marriage, but there are the occasions where an individual has legally had their name changed by court order and must update their passport to reflect this. A USA passport name change is not that difficult to accomplish and can be done either by the individual or through a passport service provider.
Whichever method is chosen, a few things remain constant through both. The first of these is to provide a court issued document showing the name change and when it went in to effect. This can either be a certified or original copy of the marriage certificate or a certified copy or original of the court document showing the change.
Many people do not like to send in original documents because they are afraid they may get lost or misplaced. This is the reason why certified copies are the more secure, comforting option. The court records office can provide minimally priced certified copies for their constituents who received a legal name change or marriage certification.
A pasport name change necessitates sending in the DS-5504 document to the service provider or Department of State. This application is for people who have a valid passport in their possession, but need to make some changes. Individuals can look on the Internet, find the form and download it. The forms must then be completed in their entirety before they are sealed and mailed to the service provider.
As this is applying for a completely new passport, photos will be necessary to accompany the paperwork. These should be done by a professional that understands all the requirements for passport photos. The only other thing to remember is that there will need to be two of them and they must be identical.
Be certain to mail the application and old pictures through mail a service company, such as UPS or Fed Ex that can trace packages, if necessary. In the age of identity theft, transporting personal information must be done as securely as possible. This will enable a passport holder or the passport agency to trace the package if they need to.
While the government does not charge extra money for this service, it can take up to two months to complete. There is a rush service available for an additional $60.00, and this “rush service” still takes a month to go through. Many private passport services can help speed this process along when they cut through all of the red tape for a modest charge.
The U S passport name change process is not too hard to take care of, regardless of which way it is processed. The individual needs to decide what time frame they can work with to get their passport name. Cardholders that need an expedited response should choose private service providers to get the job done quickly and effectively.
