Sylwia is a skilled writer with a BA in English Studies and an active SPJ member. For nearly three years now, she's been writing captivating articles for international companies, turning her lifelong passion into a career.
Sylwia Green August 28th, 2024 5 min read
Can’t pick up your new passport and you’re wondering if someone can do it for you? Yes, they can! All you need is a passport letter of authorization giving someone the official authority to collect your passport on your behalf.
But how do you do that? Keep reading for the answers, including a letter template that’s ready to use.
By the end of this article, you’ll know precisely:
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In a nutshell, a passport letter of authorization is an official document (written and signed by you) giving a third party “the power of attorney” to collect your passport for you. Now, who can legally collect a passport in your name?
Important! Suppose you want someone to collect several passports, for example, for your whole family. In that case, you must write separate letters of authorization—you’re not allowed to list more than one document to be picked up in the same letter.
Letters of authorization are official documents, and for that reason they must follow a strict format to be considered legitimate by the US Department of State’s passport agency. In this section, you’ll learn what elements your letter must include, based on the authorities’ recommendations.
Generally, there’s no information on whether your letter of authorization for passport collection can be fully handwritten or not. However, we advise you to type it out to avoid readability issues.
Have a look at this authorization letter template to get a better idea of what it should look like.
To let a third party successfully collect your US passport in your name, your letter of authority must meet all requirements. Avoid errors by following this sample passport authorization letter or download our printable template in PDF format—ready to fill out.
Note that sometimes you may want to authorize an expediting company (for example, when renewing your passport with USPS or FedEx) to collect your passport and submit your passport application in your name. If that’s your case, your introductory statement should also include this fact. For example:
I, Jane Joanne Doe, authorize the company stated below to submit my passport application to a passport agency and collect my passport from a US passport agency on my behalf.
When you authorize a private individual other than yourself, such as your family member, to pick up your passport, they’ll need to bring with them the necessary documents to the passport acceptance facility:
This way, a passport acceptance agent will be able to verify the identity of the authorized person and be legally allowed to hand over your US passport without any issues.
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A letter of authorization is an official letter written and signed by you, allowing an authorized party to collect your passport on your behalf. Such a letter must adhere to a specific format, which you can see in this article.
Yes, they can. You can ask a friend or family member to pick up your passport as long as they provide the following documents:
• Their government-issued photo ID
• A photocopy of your government-issued photo ID
• A passport pickup authorization letter signed by you
There are no strict rules as to whether a passport authorization letter must be handwritten—only your signature is required to be signed by hand (in blue or black ink). However, considering the importance of the document, we recommend printing out a template and filling it out by hand.
You can collect your child’s passport if they’re under the age of 16.
Passport letters of authorization are necessary if you’re unable to collect your new travel document in person. With this document, a designated person or courier company will be able to pick up a passport on the applicant’s behalf without any issues. Here’s what a certified authorization letter must contain:
That’s it! Download our printable sample authorization letter for passport pickup and rest easy knowing an authorized person will collect your travel document.
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Sylwia is a skilled writer with a BA in English Studies and an active SPJ member. For nearly three years now, she’s been writing captivating articles for international companies, turning her lifelong passion into a career.
