How to apply for a U.S. passport from Puerto Rico

The U.S. passport is the travel document issued by the U.S. State Department, and it also serves as evidence of citizenship. It is important to understand this from the start: it is not a Puerto Rico government procedure. No commonwealth agency issues it, speeds it up, or can correct it. Puerto Rico enters the picture elsewhere: the certified birth certificate copy issued by the Demographic Registry is the citizenship evidence used by most people born on the island.

U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals may apply, including of course people born in Puerto Rico. Minors have additional appearance and parental-consent requirements, and those rules are set by the federal State Department. If you are renewing rather than applying for the first time, the process may be different, but only if you meet the conditions the official site sets for renewal.

• Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
• Present citizenship evidence accepted by the State Department, such as a certified copy of your birth certificate.
• Present current photo identification, along with the copy the federal process requires.
• Submit a photo that meets the State Department’s specifications.
• Appear in person at an acceptance facility when the process requires it, as with a first application.
• For a minor, meet the federal appearance and parental or guardian consent requirements.

• Certified copy of your birth certificate or other accepted citizenship evidence.
• Current photo identification, plus the photocopy the federal process asks for.
• A passport-style photo that meets the official specifications.
• Proof of a name change, such as a marriage certificate or court order, if your current name does not match the one on your citizenship evidence.
• A payment method accepted by the State Department and by the acceptance facility, which may be charged separately.

1. 1

   Step 1: Understand that this is a federal procedure

   The passport is issued by the U.S. State Department. Living in Puerto Rico changes nothing about the process: it is the same one any U.S. citizen uses. Do not look for a local agency that issues it, because there isn’t one.

2. 2

   Step 2: Get your citizenship evidence first

   For most people born in Puerto Rico, the evidence is the certified birth certificate copy issued by the Demographic Registry. That is usually the slowest step, so start there rather than with the appointment. Remember the federal agency keeps the document you submit, not a photocopy.

3. 3

   Step 3: Determine whether you are applying for the first time or can renew

   The State Department uses different forms and channels for a first application and for a renewal, and not everyone qualifies to renew. The official site has a tool that tells you which one applies to you. Getting this wrong is the number-one reason an application comes back.

4. 4

   Step 4: Fill out the federal form and prepare the photo

   The State Department’s official form may ask you for identifying information; you fill that form out on the federal site, never on PRFácil. If you are applying in person, do not sign the form early: at several facilities you are asked to sign it in front of the accepting agent. The photo has strict background, framing and expression specifications, and a rejected photo delays everything.

5. 5

   Step 5: Submit the application at an acceptance facility

   A first application is submitted in person at an acceptance facility; in Puerto Rico many are post offices and other designated offices. The search tool on the official site tells you which ones are near you and whether they take appointments. Confirm before you go, because they do not all offer the same service.

6. 6

   Step 6: Save your tracking number and check the status

   Keep the receipt and the number they give you so you can track the application in the official system. If your trip has a date, do not buy tickets assuming the passport will arrive in time: check the status and look at the options the State Department itself offers for urgent cases.

With the U.S. State Department. In Puerto Rico, in-person applications are submitted at designated acceptance facilities, which include post offices and other authorized offices. The search tool on the official site keeps the current list and each location’s conditions.

• Looking for a Puerto Rico agency that issues passports, when the procedure is entirely federal.
• Leaving the birth certificate for last, when getting it is usually the slowest step.
• Submitting a photocopy of the birth certificate instead of the certified copy.
• Signing the form before arriving at the acceptance facility, when they ask you to sign in front of the agent there.
• Buying travel tickets before you have the passport in hand.

These are the government pages this guide is based on.

• Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos

  U.S. State Department

  travel.state.gov

• U.S. State Department — travel and passports

  U.S. Department of State

  travel.state.gov

• Birth certificate — Puerto Rico Demographic Registry

  Departamento de Salud

  www.salud.pr.gov