Tips and Things to Avoid When Filling Out an Application for a Passport or Visa

January 18, 2024

A simple mistake or overlook while filling out an application for a visa or passport could result in a multitude of issues such as rejection, loss of application fees, delay in processing time or suspension of documents just to name a few. Read below for universal tips and things to avoid to ensure the success of your application with the quickest turnaround time.  

  • Have your physical passport, Driver’s License, and itinerary beside you before you open the application and any other additional documents such as the letter of invitation. This way you have the majority if not all the information available at your fingertips.  
  • DETAIL. Double and triple-check check all the information matches your passport information exactly. As an example, there is a difference between Jane D. Jones and Jane D Jones that could cause a hiccup in processing times. Make sure you have the month and the day in the correct position. Some countries use MM-DD-YYYY while others use DD-MM-YYYY or YYYY-MM-DD. Compare the Passport number and make sure it correlates from the passport to the application. Verify that the travel dates match, hotel confirmation, all information needs to line up completely. For Visa applications, they are looking for each day / night during your stay is accounted for and you have return flights back to the United States. Match your residence information to what is listed on your driver’s license or other government-issued ID.  
  • Make sure your passport photos match the exact specifications of the visa/ passport issuing authorities guidelines. The general rule of thumb is 2×2, white background, facing forward, no facial obstruction (Hat, glasses, etc), shoulders covered and recently taken within the last six months.  It’s best to avoid wearing a white shirt as it is more likely to wash out skin tone.  
  • Sign your application using black pen ink. Pencils or other color pens such as purple or red will likely result in a rejected application.  

Here at Sam’s Passport Inc., we always check the applications before we submit and these are the most common mistakes that we come across. We hope this information will help you when filling out your application.  

If you have any questions while going through the application process, we are always happy to help!