Your very first step will be to get your passport out. This in itself is an important passport check! Too many people discover at the last moment that they can’t find their passport.

Do you have your passport in hand? Great! Let’s get started.

Passport Check 1: When will your passport expire?

Start your passport check on the page with your photo. Check the expiration date of your passport. You’ll want to make sure it isn’t expired already, of course! But how much validity does it have left? Some countries want you to have a minimum of six months validity on your passport. This is known as the “six month rule.” There are also countries that have different passport validity requirements. For instance, most of the countries in Europe require that your passport be valid for at least three months. If your passport is expiring in the next few months, check to see if your destination requires you to have a certain minimum validity.

Passport Check 2: Is your passport signed?

While you are on the page with your photo, check and make sure your passport is signed. Your passport should be signed to be fully valid for travel. If it isn’t signed, use blue or black ink and sign it with your full name as printed in your passport.

Checking your child’s passport? Kids need their passports to be signed, too. If your child is too young to sign for herself, you can sign for her. Sign both her name and your name, such as “Amelia Jane Smith by John Robert Smith, father.”

Passport Check 3: Is your passport in good condition?

A worn-out or damaged passport doesn’t just look bad. It could be reason for you to be denied boarding of your flight, or turned away from your destination! Do a quick passport check to make sure your passport is in good shape. Inspect your passport closely and look for damage like:

• A loose or detached cover
• Torn or cut pages
• Water damage
• Any unauthorized marking

Passport Check 4: Does your passport have blank pages?

You will need to have at least one blank page marked “visas.” This will be used for your entry and exit stamps. Some countries require you to have more than one blank page for every visit.

Double check to make sure your blank pages say “visas.” The pages at the back of your passport are for US State Department use only.

Passport Check 5: Is this your passport?

Before you head out the door, it’s time for one last passport check. Open up your passport and make sure that the passport you grabbed is yours! Everyone’s passport looks the same on the outside. It would be easy enough to mix things up and head to the airport with your son’s passport instead of your own.

Don’t laugh, it happens more often than you think. There have been quite a few news stories of British travelers who have flown using the wrong passport, including at least two men who flew to Germany using their girlfriend’s passport instead of their own!

If you need a passport renewal or replacement of a lost or damaged passport in a hurry, G3 can help!

The post Traveling for the Holidays? Time for a Passport Check! appeared first on G3Passports.

Child Passport Replacement – Which Service Should You Choose?

Children age 15 and younger are issued minor passports, valid for 5 years. Once your child turns 16, she is eligible for an adult passport valid for 10 years. When you replace a minor passport that has been lost, stolen, or mutilated, the type of passport your child will be issued will be determined by how old she is when you apply for the replacement.

If you need to replace the passport of a child age 15 or younger, please choose our minor passport service.

If your child is now age 16 or older, select the appropriate replacement service: lost passport, stolen passport, or mutilated passport replacement.

Passport Applications for Child Passport Replacement

You’ll need to prepare passport application form DS-11 to replace your child’s mutilated, stolen, or lost passport. On this application, you’ll be asked for details of your child’s most recently issued passport. If the passport is lost or stolen, and you don’t have the passport number, you can fill in “000000000” as the passport number, and provide your best guess at the issue and expiration date. But it’s best if you can provide the exact details of the missing passport. (This is why we always urge you to keep photocopies of your passports!)

Do not sign Form DS-11 until you get to the Passport Acceptance Agent!

In order to replace a lost or stolen passport, you’ll also need to submit Form DS-64. This form is an official statement on how the passport went missing. It will automatically be generated when you fill out the online passport application form.

If you are doing a child passport replacement because your child’s passport is badly damaged, you will need to write a statement explaining how the passport was damaged. This letter should be signed by the parents. Older children may also sign the statement, in addition to their parents.

What If the Whole Family Needs Replacement Passports?

We hope you never find yourself in this situation! But if you find yourself the victim of a fire, flood, or theft, you might need to replace everyone’s passport at once.

You can place multiple orders with G3passports.com, so we can help you get your new passports quickly. You will need to place a separate order for each person in your family.

When you go to the Passport Acceptance Facility, let the agent know that you will be using a passport expediting service. Make sure they seal everyone’s applications into separate envelopes, one for each member of your family.

If you have more questions, just let us know! We are here to help.

The post Child Passport Replacement – What to Do if a Passport is Lost, Stolen, or Damaged appeared first on G3Passports.

What Happens When You Replace Your Damaged Passport?

In order to replace your damaged passport, you will need to submit the mutilated passport book and an explanation of how it got damaged. Even if there are only a few shreds of your passport left, you have to submit them! You’ll have to appear at a Passport Acceptance Facility to have your application reviewed and your identity and citizenship verified. The Passport Acceptance Agent will then seal your passport replacement request into an envelope, which you will send to G3 for processing.

G3 will hand-carry your sealed envelope to the Passport Agency for rush processing of your damaged passport replacement. As soon as your new passport is ready, we will pick it up, check it for accuracy, and send it out to you. You’ll receive a brand-new passport, valid for ten years from the date of issue. You’ll also get your proof of citizenship document back.

You will not, however, get back your damaged passport book. The Passport Agency keeps all the mutilated passport books that are submitted for replacement.

Why Doesn’t the Passport Agency Return Damaged Passports?

When your passport gets damaged, it is considered compromised. It’s no longer valid for travel, or as proof of your identity or US citizenship. The idea is that if a passport is damaged, it could be altered in some fraudulent way. This was especially an issue before US passports were redesigned. If you had a passport 15 or 20 years ago, you may remember that your photo and personal information used to be on the inside of the front cover, underneath a sheet of plastic lamination. Back then, the most common reason for passports to be considered mutilated was if the lamination began to peel up. The government was understandably concerned that criminals might put in a different photo or otherwise falsify the passport. It’s safer for the government to keep the damaged passport that’s been turned in for replacement, so it can’t fall into the wrong hands.

What if There are Valid Visas in a Damaged Passport?

A few countries, most notably Brazil, China, and India, issue long-term multiple entry visas to US citizens. These visas may be valid for as long as ten years! It’s quite common for these visas to remain valid even after the passport has expired, been cancelled, or been renewed. Usually, any visas that are in your passport are cancelled when the passport expires or is renewed. However, China, Brazil, and India will allow you to keep using valid visas on your old passport! You can travel carrying both your new, valid passport and your old passport with the visa sticker.

If you have a valid visa for India, China, or Brazil in your damaged passport, you can ask the Passport Agency to return your passport so you can keep using the visa. It’s worth a try! Include a letter with your mutilated passport replacement request, asking for the passport to be returned. In the letter, explain that you have a valid visa that you would like to be able to use for future trips. Whether or not they will return your damaged passport is up to Passport Agency discretion. They sometimes return passports on request if the damage to the passport was minor.

But if you don’t get your damaged passport back, and you need to get a new visa, G3 can help!

The post Will I Get My Damaged Passport Back? appeared first on G3Passports.

Let’s take a look at some other crazy ways that passports have been destroyed.

Kiddie Doodles

A few years ago, a passport story went viral on social media. A Chinese man got stuck in South Korea, unable to travel because his four-year-old child had drawn all over the information page of his passport. The pictures were pretty funny, with the dad now sporting crazy Einstein hair, blacked-out eyes, and a goofy beard. As it turned out, that particular story was a hoax, and the “doodles” had been drawn on using photo-editing software. However, this kind of thing really does happen! Every parent knows that a kid with a Sharpie is a dangerous proposition. You don’t want your kid to draw on your passport… or on your walls or sofa!

Soaked in Soda

We’ve said it again and again: water damage to your passport is bad. But water isn’t the only liquid that can cause passport damage! We remember a passport that was ruined after being soaked in lemon-lime soda. The sticky soda stuck the pages together when it dried, and the pages tore when they were pried apart. Torn pages automatically render a passport officially mutilated. The traveler with the lemon-lime passport had to get a new passport through the mutilated passport replacement service.

At least the soda-soaked passport smelled better than passports that get ruined in the next crazy way!

The Dog Ate It. Or Maybe a Bear.

Every once in a while, we’ll get a request for a mutilated passport replacement from someone whose passport was torn up by the family dog. We’ve even had people tell us that their passport was destroyed by a wild animal! If this ever happens to you, you’ll need to gather up all the passport pieces you can find. Stick them in a zip-lock bag. Even if there are only a few pieces of your passport left, you’ll need to submit them with your request for a replacement passport.

Crafty Passport Damage

No one would willfully damage their passport, right? Unfortunately, that’s not the case. We’ve seen several cases of passport damage resulting from their owners cutting the passport up. Why would someone cut their passport? We’ve heard of people “trimming” the covers of their passports to fit better inside designer passport cases. We’ve also known people who cut pages out of their expired passports — some people thought they could re-use unexpired visas if they cut them out, and others cut out pages to save them in scrapbooks. But even if your passport is expired, do not cut it up! If you cut any pages, you will not be able to use that passport for a passport renewal. You’ll also never be able to use that passport as a proof of citizenship for future passport applications.

The cutest example of crafty passport damage we’ve ever seen was in another international news story. A German couple found out they were expecting their first baby a few days before an international trip, so they cut up one of their expired passports to make a teeny-tiny passport for the fetus. They used an ultrasound image for the passport photo, and even got an immigration official to stamp the mini-passport! Super cute. Super sweet. But don’t do it.

The post Oops! Crazy Reasons for Passport Damage appeared first on G3Passports.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell if your passport is truly mutilated, or if it’s just looking worn from being carted around on all your travels. If you have a mutilated passport, you’ll definitely need to replace it before your next trip, but even if your passport isn’t that badly damaged, it’s still a good idea to replace it. Worn-out passports can be replaced by doing an early passport renewal.

So is your passport in bad enough shape to fall into the “mutilated passport” category? Let’s look at some common types of passport damage.

Passport Cover Damage

• Passport cover is loose or fell off. No question – this is a mutilated passport!
• Passport cover has hanging threads at the edges. This is minor damage, but enough that you should apply for a passport renewal.
• Passport cover has stickers on it. If you had stickers put on your passport by a visa expediting service or airport security, that’s no problem. It’s not considered to be damage at all. We don’t recommend decorating your passport with your own stickers, though!
• Passport cover has been cut or trimmed. Any cuts on your passport cover will render your passport mutilated.
• Passport cover is bent or curved. Have you been carrying your passport in your back pocket and sitting on it? If your passport has developed a curve, you may want to replace it with a passport renewal, but it’s not mutilated.

Damage to the Information Page

• Peeling plastic on the information page. This used to be a big problem, but US passports have been redesigned to try to prevent this problem. However, if the page with your photo starts to delaminate, you’ve got a mutilated passport on your hands. Replace it now.
• Unauthorized markings on the information page. If anyone has marked your information page other than a US State Department official, you will need to do a Mutilated Passport replacement.
• Water damage on the information page. Has your passport gotten wet? The information page has a polycarbonate coating that should protect it from falling apart in water, but if mildew develops under the lamination, you should replace your passport. If it’s very mild, you may be able to renew your passport, but you will likely be required to use the mutilated passport procedure.

Damage to Internal Pages

• Torn pages. If any page of your passport gets torn, sorry – your passport is officially mutilated.
• Cut pages. Just like torn pages, if any of your passport pages are partially or completely cut, your passport is now mutilated.
• Unauthorized markings. Did your kid doodle on a passport page? As long as it wasn’t the information page or a page with a visa, you will likely be able to replace your passport with an early passport renewal.
• Worn or curling edges of the pages. After your passport has been around the world a few times, the edges of the pages might soften, like those of a much-loved book. This damage isn’t bad enough to be considered mutilated, but you should renew your passport to get a fresh book. You probably are running low on blank visa pages by now, too!

Whether you need to renew your passport or do a full damaged passport replacement, G3 is here to help!

The post Is Your Passport Mutilated… Or Just Looking a Bit Rough? appeared first on G3Passports.

Most Common Reason for a Stolen Passport: Pickpockets

Even in the safest cities, pickpockets can be a problem.  Petty thieves love to target distracted tourists, looking for an opportunity to grab a wallet, phone, camera, or passport.  A pickpocket could strike anywhere, but you’re most at risk when you’re at a crowded tourist attraction or using public transportation.   Luckily, with a little forethought, you can keep your passport safe from thieves!

• Don’t keep your passport in your back pocket, or in the outer pocket of your backpack.  Pickpockets have that name for a reason — they are amazingly good at slipping your belongings out of your pocket without you feeling a thing!
• Don’t sling your bag over the back of a chair.  It’s too easy for a thief to grab the bag, or just brush by and yank your wallet out of your bag.
• Beware of distractions. Pickpockets often work in pairs or teams. One will distract you by bumping in to you, spilling something on you, or handing you a flower or card.  Meanwhile, their partner in crime will be robbing you of anything they can grab!
• Do use a traveler’s security wallet to store your passport, credit cards, and cash under your clothes.  We know, they’re not the coolest accessory, but spending part of your trip at the police station and US Embassy isn’t cool either!  There are many different kinds of traveler’s security wallets, including ones to be worn around the waist, the neck, or even around your leg. Another good option is to keep your passport in the inner pocket of a coat that you’ll keep buttoned or zippered… but don’t leave that hanging over the back of a chair!

If your passport is stolen while you are in the United States, G3passports.com can help you replace your stolen passport quickly.  However, if your passport is stolen while you are overseas, you will need to visit a US Embassy or US Consulate to have a new passport issued before you fly home.

Most Common Reason for a Mutilated Passport:  Water Damage

If you’ve taken our advice about keeping your passport in the inner pocket of your jacket, make sure you take it out before you do your laundry!  Believe it or not, one of the most common reasons for a mutilated passport replacement is because the passport has gone through the washing machine and the dryer.  The US State Department has been steadily improving the design of passports to make them more impervious to damage, but water damage is still a serious concern.  We have seen water-damaged passports that were considered mutilated because mildew grew under the plastic coating of the information page, or because the binding of the cover became loose.  If you have any visas in your passport, those are even more susceptible to water damage.  The ink on your visa can easily run, or the water can loosen the glue, causing your visa sticker to fall out.

In addition to keeping your passport out of the washing machine, we recommend using a plastic or vinyl passport cover to help keep your passport dry in case it’s ever caught out in the rain.

G3passports.com can help you determine if your damaged passport is in bad enough shape to need the mutilated passport replacement procedure.  If your passport is only lightly damaged, you may be able to do an early passport renewal instead.

Most Common Reason for a Lost Passport: Misplaced at Home

We can’t tell you how often we’ve spoken to travelers who have lost their passports inside their own homes!  “It’s around here somewhere,” they’ll say, but with an international trip rapidly approaching, they may wind up having to do a lost passport replacement if the passport can’t be found.  We always encourage travelers to do a thorough search before starting the replacement process, because once you have reported your passport lost, it will be cancelled.  Even if you find your passport the next day, you won’t be able to use it for travel.

The simple solution is to designate a place that you always store your passport between trips.  As soon as you get home, put your passport away in the same safe place as before.  This will help keep it out of the washing machine, too!

The post Keep Your Passport Safe! appeared first on G3Passports.