3 minute read · Official sources checked 19 October 2026 · English guide
Start with the right application route
DS-11 is used for in-person U.S. passport applications, including first applications and cases that do not qualify for renewal. Preparing the PDF does not submit an application or book an appointment. Check the official route before spending time on the form.
This guide covers preparation for Wayform’s supported standard applications in the United States. Children and applicants aged 16–17 have additional requirements. Use the official age-specific guidance alongside the form; an adult checklist does not replace it.
Sources: U.S. adult passport applications · Applications for children under 16 · Applications for ages 16–17
Complete the answers, leaving official areas alone
Work through both application pages with your records beside you. Compare your name, birth details, previous names, parent details, addresses and passport history. Read each field’s wording: a parent’s name at birth may differ from the name they use today.
Provide your Social Security number if one has been issued. If you have never received one, follow the form’s zero-entry instructions and supply the separate signed and dated statement it requires. Do not simply leave the field empty.
Leave the application signature and agent-completion areas unfinished. If an answer is wrong, return to the editor and prepare a corrected PDF before printing. Avoid making a printed correction that conflicts with the official instructions.
Sources: Official DS-11 form and instructions
Check the PDF and printer settings
Our suggested review is to open every exported page before printing. Look for missing characters, clipped answers, unexpected blanks and incorrect selections. Check the final PDF itself, even if the answers looked right in the editor.
The State Department requires portrait printing on 8.5 × 11-inch letter paper, with each application page on a separate sheet. Double-sided forms are not accepted. Make sure the full application page prints clearly and nothing is cut off.
Sources: Official passport printing guidance
Bring the packet and wait to sign
Bring the required citizenship evidence and copy, physical photo ID and front/back copies, a compliant photo, applicable additional evidence and required payments. Check your chosen facility’s appointment arrangements and payment methods.
Do not sign DS-11 or staple the photo before the appointment. The acceptance agent instructs you when to sign and attaches the photo.
Wayform’s editor excludes urgent, special-issuance and overseas cases, extra sheets, unsupported spelling and answers that do not fit. DS-64 preparation is not included. If your case needs these, use the official instructions and forms instead of omitting information to fit the editor.
Wayform is an independent preparation service, not a government agency. These preparation guides do not guarantee acceptance or replace the current official instructions.