US citizens: who issued your passport?
Jan 28, 2015, 4:04 pm
#1
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Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4,735
US citizens: who issued your passport?
Am currently going through the process of getting a temporary work permit for a short term contract in Italy (what a PITA) and one question I was asked today was what authority issued my passport. Now I know ultimately all US passports are issued by the State Department, but in the past, my passports usually had "San Francisco, CA, Passport Office" or the last one said "Charleston, SC, Passport Office" on it. My new one, the first one I've renewed online, actually says "United States Department of State" as the issuing authority.
Is that new? Unique to the online renewal?
Is that new? Unique to the online renewal?
Jan 28, 2015, 4:19 pm
#2
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I renewed mine by mail. I sent it to the National Passport Processing Office in Philadelphia. My new (2015) passport say it was issued by the U.S. Department of State.
If the Italian form asks for the issuing agency and city, I might put "U.S. Department of State" and maybe "Washington, DC" or Portsmouth, NH, the return address on the mailing envelope. In reality, they mailed it from Tucson, AZ, the home of the Western Passport Office but it only says that on the post office tracking website.
If the Italian form asks for the issuing agency and city, I might put "U.S. Department of State" and maybe "Washington, DC" or Portsmouth, NH, the return address on the mailing envelope. In reality, they mailed it from Tucson, AZ, the home of the Western Passport Office but it only says that on the post office tracking website.
Jan 28, 2015, 4:33 pm
#3
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If the Italian form asks for the issuing agency and city, I might put "U.S. Department of State" and maybe "Washington, DC" or Portsmouth, NH, the return address on the mailing envelope. In reality, they mailed it from Tucson, AZ, the home of the Western Passport Office but it only says that on the post office tracking website.
Jan 28, 2015, 4:40 pm
#4
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This also happens with new UK and Australian passports now. They no longer give the location of an issuing office but give the issuing authority.
Presumably part of general security tightening as well as general digital/electronic passport tech upgrade..
Presumably part of general security tightening as well as general digital/electronic passport tech upgrade..
Jan 28, 2015, 8:32 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: KSUX
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My passport issued a couple weeks ago lists "United States Department of State" as issuing authority. I figured it'd be the Minneapolis office since they're the closest but the tracking showed it shipped from Little Rock, Arkansas so I guess the Hot Springs office actually processed it. I'm guessing since it was expedited those get sent to the least busy office or maybe certain ones handle expedited requests.
Jan 28, 2015, 11:16 pm
#6
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My ordinary US passports are issued at US passport offices in the US on a same-day or next-day basis; and for some years now, they no longer mention the actual city of issuance and now just mention US Department of State where it previously would have listed the US city of the issuing passport agency office.
When asked for place of issue, I just mention US Department of State even when I know there was no interoffice transport of my passport book after my relevant application had been submitted in-person.
The product of increased centralization.
When asked for place of issue, I just mention US Department of State even when I know there was no interoffice transport of my passport book after my relevant application had been submitted in-person.
The product of increased centralization.
Last edited by GUWonder; Jan 28, 2015 at 11:22 pm
Jan 29, 2015, 12:31 am
#7
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I've had this question on forms in the past and it seemed to odd - or a bit of an obvious question/answer.
Are those (US or otherwise) whose passports are issued by some exotic/esoteric agency?
Are those (US or otherwise) whose passports are issued by some exotic/esoteric agency?
Jan 29, 2015, 1:21 am
#9
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It varies by countries. I've see lots of non-US passports issued by say foreign police authorities, a sort of thing that hasn't been done in the US at any point in my lifetime in so far as I know. I used to consider it exotic/esoteric when I first started encountering such things, but familiarity over time makes things feel less exotic/esoteric.
Jan 29, 2015, 7:46 am
#10
Join Date: Oct 2007
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The question for issuing authority comes from the fact that in some countries passports are issued by local authorities on behalf of the federal government. In Germany the city or county you live in issues the passport. In the past the information and all the paper work was archived at the by the city or county and not as accessible as it is today.
Jan 29, 2015, 8:49 am
#11
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Yeah, in Spain the passport is issued by the local police station. Like you walk in and give them a picture and walk out with your passport. The issuing authority is some long code that I'm sure corresponds to the individual station.
Jan 29, 2015, 12:47 pm
#12
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I just faced this when applying for an Indian Tourist Visa. Some googling turned up an instruction to use the "place listed on your passport under 'Authority'" in the lower right corner. Mine says United States Department of State, so that's what I put, although had to abbreviate it to US Dept. of State to make it fit in the allowed space.
I'm pretty sure my old passport said Chicago.
I'm pretty sure my old passport said Chicago.
Jan 29, 2015, 4:12 pm
#14
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I just faced this when applying for an Indian Tourist Visa. Some googling turned up an instruction to use the "place listed on your passport under 'Authority'" in the lower right corner. Mine says United States Department of State, so that's what I put, although had to abbreviate it to US Dept. of State to make it fit in the allowed space.
I'm pretty sure my old passport said Chicago.
I'm pretty sure my old passport said Chicago.