How to Get a Passport in 2025: The No-BS Guide Everyone’s Been Waiting For

By the time you’ve Googled “how to get a passport” three times, texted a cousin who swears they “just got one in two weeks,” and walked out of the post office line cursing bureaucracy, you’re already deep in the American rite of passage known as passport limbo.

Welcome. This is a sacred initiation into international adulthood. You can now confidently say things like, “I’m dealing with the State Department” while sighing dramatically.

But here’s the thing: getting a passport doesn’t have to be a bureaucratic purgatory. Yes, it involves paperwork. Yes, it involves bad lighting and a photo where you look like you just got arrested at a Coachella afterparty. But no, it doesn’t have to break your sanity—or your wallet.

At contenthub.Guru, we believe guides should be as useful as they are entertaining. So here it is: a witty, raw, slightly irreverent walk-through of how to get your passport in 2025—sprinkled with cultural tidbits, fun facts, and the occasional existential sigh.

The First Question: Do You Even Have a Birth Certificate?

Let’s start at square one. Before you march into a post office demanding a passport, ask yourself: Do I have a certified birth certificate? Not a photocopy your mom laminated in 1994. Not a wrinkled hospital souvenir card with your tiny footprints. A certified government-issued document with a raised seal.

Why? Because without it, you’re toast.

Fun fact: in 2023, the U.S. issued over 24 million passports, the highest ever recorded. In 2024, delays hit historic highs—some travelers waited up to 18 weeks. Why? Because Americans rediscovered travel like it was a new season of “White Lotus.” The State Department is still catching its breath.

So if you can’t even find your birth certificate, start there. Call your county clerk’s office. Get a fresh certified copy. It usually costs between $20–$40. Without it, you’re not even in the race.

Step 1: The Application Form (DS-11)

The DS-11 form is your passport initiation ritual. It’s available online at the U.S. State Department’s website. You can fill it out electronically and print, or go full analog and handwrite in black ink like you’re signing the Declaration of Independence.

Pro tip: don’t sign it yet. You must sign it in person in front of the passport official, or they’ll give you the side-eye and make you start over.

You’ll need:

• Your birth certificate (or proof of citizenship)

• Government-issued photo ID (driver’s license works fine)

• A photocopy of that ID (front and back)

Yes, you need to bring your own copy. Yes, they still live in 1998.

Step 2: The Photo — Aka Your Mugshot for Border Control

Ah, the passport photo. Ah, the passport photo. The one photo guaranteed to haunt you for 10 years.

Rules:

• 2x2 inches

• White background

• Neutral expression (no smiles, no duck lips, no Neutral expression (no smiles, no duck lips, no TikTok face filters)

• No glasses

• No hats (unless for religious reasons)

Your best bet? Go to CVS, Walgreens, or Costco. They know the drill. Avoid DIY unless you enjoy rejection letters.

Cultural note: the passport photo is the great equalizer. Models, CEOs, Cultural note: the passport photo is the great equalizer. Models, CEOs, TikTok influencers—everyone looks vaguely criminal when reduced to 2x2 inches of fluorescent-lit despair.

Step 3: The Money Grab

Let’s talk fees. As of 2025:

• Passport Book (adult, first-time): $130

• Execution Fee: $35 (paid at acceptance facility)

• Passport Card (optional): $30 (good for land/sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Caribbean—but not international flights)

• Expedited Service: +$60

• 1–2 Day Delivery: +$19.53 (yes, the “.53” is real, because bureaucracy loves decimals)

Total: Anywhere from $165 to $244 depending on your level of panic.

Step 4: The Line of Doom (Acceptance Facilities)

This is where the rubber meets the bureaucracy. First-time applicants must apply in person at an acceptance facility (usually a post office, courthouse, or library).

Bring:

• Completed (but unsigned) DS-11 form

• Proof of citizenship

• Government ID + photocopy

• Passport photo

• Payment (check or money order—yes, they hate cash and cards)

You’ll sign the form in front of the clerk, hand over your life, and try not to roll your eyes when they staple everything aggressively.

Step 5: Wait, Wait, Wait

Processing times as of September 2025:

• Routine: 8–11 weeks

• Expedited: 5–7 weeks

• Life-or-Death Emergency: 72 hours (requires proof, like international funeral travel)

Travelers are still reporting occasional backlogs thanks to high demand, so don’t procrastinate. If your trip is in six weeks, expedite immediately.

Fun Fact Interlude

1. The First U.S. Passport was issued in 1789 under President Washington. Back then, only diplomats got them. Regular citizens could roam free. Ah, the pre-airline era.

2. Blue Passport Gang: Since 1976, U.S. passports have been navy blue. Before that, they were green, red, and even black. Collectors pay thousands for vintage versions.

3. Passport Power: The U.S. passport ranks among the top 10 in the world, granting visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to over 180 countries. Still, Japan and Singapore usually take the crown.

Culture: The Passport as a Status Symbol

Let’s be real—waving a navy-blue passport at customs is more than just paperwork. It’s a cultural badge. It says: I have survived paperwork, paid $165, and can now legally drink a Guinness in Dublin.

The rise of The rise of social media has made the passport itself an accessory. has made the passport itself an accessory. Instagram flex: boarding pass tucked inside, latte in hand, passport cover monogrammed. It’s a whole aesthetic.

At the same time, passports represent inequality. While U.S. citizens stress over whether their expedited service will arrive in time for Cabo, millions worldwide face visa denials, strict entry requirements, or the inability to travel at all. That’s the double-edged sword of globalization.

contenthub.Guru’s How-To Checklist

1. Get your birth certificate (certified, no copies).

2. Fill out the DS-11 form online or by hand.

3. Take a passport photo (no smiles, no filters).

4. Gather ID + photocopy.

5. Write a check or money order (don’t swipe your Amex).

6. Apply in person at an acceptance facility.

7. Pay for expedited service if you’re a procrastinator.

8. Wait. Check status online. Refresh compulsively.

FAQ: How to Get a Passport in 2025

Final Word

Getting a passport isn’t just about travel—it’s about possibility. It’s about giving yourself access to the world, whether that’s sipping espresso in Rome, hiking in Patagonia, or finally visiting the cousin who insists you see their tiny Tokyo apartment.

It’s also a reminder of privilege. Millions can’t cross borders as easily as swiping a navy-blue booklet. So when you finally get that stiff little book in the mail, don’t just toss it in a drawer. Celebrate it. Plan the trip. Book the ticket. Use the damn passport.

And when you do? Snap the picture, post the flex, tag it with #contenthubGuru—because let’s be honest, you earned it.