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Passport Application Information

Passport Application Information

For details about passport applications, click on the applicable section:

A. General Information About Passport Applications

All U.S. citizens may apply for passports at the American Citizens Services (ACS) unit of the Embassy between 8:15 and 11:30 a.m. any business day, with the exception of American and Salvadoran holidays and the first Wednesday of each month.   .

To avoid disrupting travel plans, citizens are urged to apply for passports at least two weeks before any anticipated date of international travel.

Passport applicants should be aware that the consular section of the Embassy prints only those passports that are required for emergency travel.   Emergency passports have a limited period of validity.

Applications for full validity passports are reviewed and accepted at the Embassy.  All full validity passports are printed at the National Passport Center in New Hampshire in order to ensure that these documents incorporate the best available security features.  Secure passports help minimize the misuse of U.S. passports by criminals and terrorists.

Full validity passports normally are available for pick up at the Embassy one week after the consular section accepts the passport application.  Applicants also may arrange to have their passport delivered to them by a commercial courier service under contract to the Embassy.  The courier service charges an additional fee for deliveries; and the delivery service will take additional time. 

The forms used for passport applications can be obtained in advance from the American Citizen Services unit of the Embassy.  Many of these forms also can be downloaded from the State Department website at http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/forms_847.html.

The most common of these forms are the DS-11 and DS-82 application forms and the DS-64 statement of loss or theft of a U.S. passport.  DS-4085 should be used to request additional visa pages for a current passport.  DS-5504 must be used to request a new passport reflecting a name change or amending other information on the data page of a current passport.

Each applicant, including children and infants, must submit two recent, identical, color photographs that provide a full front view of the applicant's face against a plain light background.  The image of the face, measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head (including hair), should be not less than one inch and not more than one and three-eighths inch.  Photos may be obtained at the canopied area within the Embassy compound near the visa entrance or from commercial photo shops.  The cost for photos is not controlled by the Embassy but typically is four or five dollars.  (Photo Requirements)  

Passport fees may be paid either in U.S. dollars either in cash or with one of the following credit cards: MasterCard, VISA, American Express, Discover/NOVUS, or Diners Club.  The fees must be paid at the consular cashier's window in the American Citizens Services (ACS) unit.  Checks and debit cards are not accepted.

B. Passport Applications for Children Less than 16 Years Old

Please read Section A-- General Information About Passport Applications-- in addition to this section.

If the passport applicant is less than 16 years old, both parents must accompany the child to the American Citizens Services (ACS) unit of the Embassy. 

The parents must provide evidence of the child's identity and U.S. citizenship.  A certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate or the original of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. Citizen frequently constitutes sufficient evidence of a child's citizenship.  However, the interviewing consular officer may request additional evidence, particularly if the child has not been issued a U.S. passport previously.  In such circumstances, useful evidence of citizenship or identity may include the pre- and post-natal medical records of the child's mother, hospital certificates, infant and childhood medical and vaccination records, hospital bills, family pictures illustrating the child's growth and development, and school transcripts, diplomas or certificates, preferably with pictures attached.

The parents of a child who has been issued a previous U.S. passport must bring their child's most recent passport, unless it has been lost or stolen.

Passport application Form DS-11 is used to process these applications.  The form can be downloaded from http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds11/ds11_842.html.

The parents also must provide two recent, identical, color photographs of the child.  (See Photo Requirements.)

If only one parent is living with the child applicant in El Salvador, that parent must provide the Embassy with the written, signed and notarized statement of the absent parent granting consent for the accompanying parent to apply for a renewed or replacement passport for the child.  This statement must be in English.

If one parent is deceased, the surviving parent must present a certified copy of the deceased parent's death certificate along with the other required documentation.

If one parent has sole legal custody of the child, the parent must provide a copy of the court decree granting sole custody.

If the parents are divorced but have joint or shared legal custody of the child, both parents must accompany the child to the Embassy or the applying parent must provide a written, signed and notarized statement from the absent parent granting consent for the accompanying parent to apply for passport for the child.  This statement must be in English.   

If the child was born out of wedlock, and the father is not listed on the child's birth certificate, and the parents never married, the child's mother must provide a written and signed statement that she never married the father of her child and that no legal determination of custody has been made.  The Embassy provides Form DS-3053 on which the mother can make this statement under oath or affirmation.

In circumstances where only one parent has physical custody of the child and has lost contact totally with the absent parent, the applying parent must submit a statement to this effect under oath or affirmation.  The Embassy provides Form DS-3053 on which this statement can be made.

When the child is living in El Salvador with a guardian other than a parent, and both parents are living outside the country, both parents must execute a signed and notarized power of attorney granting the guardian authorization to apply for a passport for the child.  This power of attorney must be written and notarized in English.  The guardian must present the original of this document when applying for the child's passport. 

Frequently as a child grows older it no longer resembles its photograph in a previous passport.  This is particularly true when the previous passport was issued when the child was an infant.  In circumstances such as this, the parents should bring as many photos of the child as possible to illustrate its physical development over the years since the issuance of the previous passport.  All photos will be returned to the parents. 

The interviewing consular officer may ask for additional documents or evidence to verify the child's identity.

Passports issued to all children less than 16 years of age are valid for five years.    

The fee for a passport for a child under 16 years of age is USD 85.

C.  Passport Applications by Persons At Least 16 Years Old Who Are Applying to RENEW a Passport for the First Time After Reaching the Age of 16

Please read Section A-- General Information About Passport Applications-- in  addition to this section.

A U.S. citizen who is applying to renew a passport for the first time after reaching the age of 16 years must submit his or her most recently issued U.S. passport.  This will be canceled and returned.

Passport application form DS-11 is used to process these applications.  The form can be downloaded from http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds11/ds11_842.html. The applicant will sign this form under oath or affirmation. 

All applicants must provide two recent, identical, color photographs that provide a full front view of his or her face against a plain light background.  (See Photo Requirements.)

The interviewing consular officer may ask for additional documents or evidence to verify the applicant's identity.  If the applicant is applying to renew a passport issued when he or she was in infant or young child, family photos that illustrate the applicant's growth and development since the issuance of the previous passport may be helpful.  All photographs and other identity documentation will be returned to the applicant.

Passports issued to persons 16 years of age or older are valid for ten years.    

The fee is USD 100.

D.  Passport Applications by Adults Who Are RENEWING a Passport Issued Within the Last 15 Years and When the Applicant Was At Least 16 Years Old

Please read Section A--General Information About Passport Applications-- in addition to this section.

Adults wishing to renew passports that were issued within the last 15 years and when the bearer was at least 16 years old must surrender their most recently issued previous passport.  This will be canceled and returned.

Passport application form DS-82 is used to process these applications.  The form can be downloaded from http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds82/ds82_843.html.    Applicants must provide two recent, identical, color photographs that provide a full front view of his or her face against a plain light background.  (See Photo Requirements.)

In rare circumstances, the interviewing consular officer may request additional evidence of citizenship or identity.

Passports issued to persons 16 years of age or older are valid for ten years.    

The fee is USD 75.

E.  Passport Applications By Persons At Least 16 Years Old Applying for Their FIRST U.S. Passport

Please read Section A--General Information About Passport Applications-- in addition to this section.

U.S. citizens 16 years old or older who are applying for their first U.S. passport must provide proof of their U.S. citizenship.  An original or certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate may satisfy this requirement.  An original naturalization certificate also may satisfy this requirement.  The interviewing consular officer may ask for additional proof of citizenship and may ask appropriate U.S. officials to verify the authenticity of the documents presented.  Verification could take several days.

All applicants also must provide proof of their identity.  Identity documents that include a photograph of the applicant are preferred.

Passport application form DS-11 is used to process these applications. The form can be downloaded from http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds11/ds11_842.html.    All applicants also must provide two recent, identical, color photographs that provide a full front view of the applicant's face against a plain light background.  (See Photo Requirements.)

Passport applicants born in El Salvador who are not naturalized United States citizens but instead are basing their claim to U.S. citizenship on the U.S. citizenship of a parent, should read the information concerning a Consular Report of Birth Abroad.  Persons 18 years of age or older are not eligible to receive a Consular Report of Birth Abroad but, if they demonstrate a valid claim to U.S. citizenship, are eligible to receive a U.S. passport

Passports issued to persons 16 years of age or older are valid for ten years.    

The fee is USD 100. 

F.  Passport Applications to Replace a Lost, Stolen, Damaged or Mutilated Passport

Please read Section A-- General Information About Passport Applications-- in addition to this section.

All persons, including children, applying to replace a lost, stolen, damaged or mutilated passport must submit proof of their identity and U.S. citizenship.  Frequently, sufficient proof of citizenship is provided by a certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate, the original of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. Citizen, or a U.S. Naturalization Certificate.  All original documents will be returned.

Persons applying to replace a lost, stolen, damaged or mutilated passport will also be required to explain the circumstances of the loss, theft, damage or mutilation in writing on Form DS-64 and to sign the statement under oath or affirmation.  Additionally, persons applying to replace a stolen passport must provide a copy of the Salvadoran police report that documents the report of the theft to local authorities.

Passport application form DS-11 is used to process these applications.  The form can be downloaded from http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds11/ds11_842.html.   Applicants, or the parents of children under 16 years of age, will sign the form under oath or affirmation.  All applicants also must provide two recent, identical, color photographs that provide a full front view of the applicant's face against a plain light background.  (See Photo Requirements.)

Additional procedures required for children less than 16 years of age are described in a separate Section.

The fee to replace a lost, stolen, damaged or mutilated passport for a child less than 16 years old is  USD 85.  Full validity passports will be valid for five years.

The fee to replace a lost, stolen, damaged or mutilated passport for a person 16 years old or older is USD 100.  Full validity passports will be valid for ten years.