Applying for Your First U.S. Passport? Here’s Everything You Need to Know (2025)

If you're applying for your first U.S. passport, I totally get it — it can feel a little overwhelming at first. I recently went through the process myself and decided to share everything I learned, from how to make an appointment to what documents you need and what kind of mail to expect after.

Spoiler alert: It was way easier and faster than I expected — especially because I was prepared.

Who Needs to Apply in Person?

Before anything else, check if you need to apply in person. If you say yes to any of these, you’ll need to go to a passport acceptance facility (like USPS):

It’s your first time applying for a U.S. passport (book or card)
You're applying with a child under age 16
Your last passport was issued when you were under 16
Your last passport was lost, stolen, or damaged
Your last passport was issued over 15 years ago

If that’s you, read on — I’ve got you.

What’s the Difference Between a Passport Book and a Passport Card?

This part confused me a bit at first too. Here's the simple version:

Passport Book: This is what you’ll use to travel internationally by air, or by land or sea. It’s the standard option.
- You can request a standard book (28 pages) or a large book (52 pages) if you travel often.
- Valid for 10 years if you’re over 16.
Passport Card: A cheaper, wallet-sized card that you can use to travel by land or sea between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean.❗ Not valid for flying internationally.

I applied for both the passport book and card, just to be covered for any kind of trip.

Step 1: Make an Appointment

First things first — book an appointment. I went to USPS and made mine online. Highly recommend it. I was in and out in under 10 minutes.

👉 Book here: https://tools.usps.com/rcas.htm

Step 2: Fill Out the DS-11 Form Online

You can fill out the application form online to save time — it’s super easy.Just make sure not to sign it until you're in front of the passport agent.

👉 Fill Out DS-11 Form https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/forms.html

Print it out and bring it with you.

What to Bring With You

Here’s exactly what I brought to my appointment:

Completed DS-11 form (unsigned)
One passport photo (I got mine taken at CVS)
Original birth certificate (I got mine from my country’s consulate — in English and stamped)
Certificate of Naturalization (they’ll return this by mail later)
Photocopies of each important document (black and white is fine)
Photo ID (like a driver’s license) + a photocopy of both sides
Payment (I used a debit card)

How Much It Cost Me (2025)

You’ll pay two types of fees:

The application fee (goes to the U.S. Department of State)
The execution fee (goes to the USPS facility)

But don’t worry — you won’t need to make two separate payments. The USPS staff will calculate the total amount for you and process everything in one single transaction.

At the USPS office, you can pay with debit card. Credit cards are not accepted for passport payments.

Here’s what the full cost looks like depending on what you apply for:

Passport Type	Application Fee	Expedited	1–2 Day Delivery	Execution Fee	Total Cost
Passport Book Only	$130	+$60	+$21.36	$35	$246.36
Passport Card Only	$30	+$60	Not available	$35	$125.00
Passport Book + Card (My Choice)	$160	+$60	+$21.36	$35	$276.36

My Timeline

To give you a real-life idea of how fast things moved (with expedited service), here’s how it went for me:

Applied: March 14
Passport Book Delivered: March 22
Passport Card Delivered: March 28
Original documents returned: April 10

Pretty fast, right?

What Arrives in the Mail (And When)

If you applied for both the passport book and card like I did, you’ll get three separate deliveries:

Passport Book – came quickly, thanks to 1–2 day shipping
Passport Card – arrived a few days later
Original documents – like your birth certificate or naturalization certificate. Mine came in a yellow envelope from Sterling, VA. This one isn’t trackable, so don’t stress if it takes a little longer.

You’ll get tracking info for your passport and passport card — but not for your original documents.

Final Tips from Me

Photocopy everything — you don’t want to risk delays
Don’t sign the form early!
If you travel a lot, request the large passport book
Expedited service was totally worth it
Your appointment will be quick if you come prepared

I hope this makes things a little easier for you if you're getting your first passport! If you’ve got any questions, feel free to drop them in the comments — happy to help.