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Since you’re reading this, chances are you want to know how to get a passport. This is what you need to do if you want to make the change in your name to be reflected on your passport. You would normally need to go through this process if you were recently married, or if you had your name legally changed. If that were the case, then you would indeed need to apply for a passport name change.

You have several options when applying for a passport name change. The first two are based on the issuance date of your passport. If your passport has been issued less than a year ago, you will go through a different procedure from those who had their passports issued over a year ago. So to find out what procedure suits you, check the date of issuance on your current passport.

Now let’s talk about the first type of procedure. In case your passport was issued over a year ago, you are required to apply for a new one by mail. There are several requirements that will enable you to do this. The following requirements are: your current passport, two recent color photographs of yourself, the DS-82 form that you have filled in, plus the original or at least a certified copy of the legal document that proves your name change. Depending on your case, it will either be your marriage contract or the court order on your change of name. Also, you will be required to pay a certain fee for this type of procedure.

Now what if your passport was issued within one year? You will have to fulfill a slightly different set of requirements in that case. These requirements are: your latest passport, two recent photos, the supporting legal documents such as the ones mentioned in the last paragraph, and the DS-5504 form for your passport name change.

If your passport was issued less than a year ago, you will not be required to pay any fee whatsoever. You will, however, have to pay an additional fee if you take the expedited passport option. This is the option that you’re recommended to choose in case you need to leave the country within the next 10 weeks. Typically, expedited passports take two to three weeks to process.

However, there are cases when you cannot legally document your name change, yet wish to have your name in your passport changed. If this sounds like your current situation, then there’s a remedy to that. All you need to do is to submit your latest valid passport, two color photos, your completed application form or the DS-11, and pay the applicable fees. Aside from that, you will also need to provide three public records with your date and place of birth that indicates the exclusive use of your new name for a minimum of five years.

Filling in the Form DS-11 requires you to submit your application plus the supporting documents in person. Because of this, it’s very important that you check whether you have fulfilled every requirement even before you leave for the passport office. This saves you a lot of time.

Want to know how to get a U.S. Passport Name Change? That’s what we have discussed in the previous paragraphs. Just always remember to find out what procedure applies to you as it saves you time and ensures that your U.S. Passport name change proceeds smoothly.

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