You might assume that if you fill out a passport application and mail it in, that you will just get your passport in the mail a few weeks later.

If you’ve ever been through that process before, you may or may not realize how many applications get delayed or even rejected for reasons that aren’t always obvious. Most of the time the delay isn’t because the person sending in the application isn’t eligible for a passport, it tends to be from a small technical mistake made in one or more places in the process.

Here are some of the most common reasons that cause passports to get delayed or rejected:

1. Passport Photo Gets Rejected: This is probably one of the single biggest reasons, believe it or not. Your photo can get rejected for a multitude of reasons, which may include:

• Shadows in the background
• Slightly incorrect sizing
• Glasses glare
• Smiling too much
• A head tilt

Even passport photos taken at a store can sometimes get rejected for these reasons, which can be an unpleasant surprise later on.

2. Missing Documents: A lot of applicants don’t even realize they need to send original or certified copies of certain documents, not just photocopies. Or they may forget to include something entirely. When that happens, the application can just sit incomplete until the issue gets resolved.

3. Errors on the Forms: What’s frustrating is that even one small error can stop the processing completely. Things like:

• Leaving fields blank that shouldn’t be blank
• Writing dates in the wrong format
• Typos in names or birthdates
• Forgetting to sign somewhere

4. Using the Wrong Form: There are multiple passport forms, and which one you need depends on your situation. These are different for first-time applicants, passport renewals, child passports, or replacing a lost or stolen passport. People often pick the wrong form without even realizing it.

5. Payment Issues: Sending in the incorrect fee amounts, using the wrong payment method, or mistakes on checks can cause an unwelcome delay.

6. Mailing Mistakes: Sending the application to the wrong address, using the incorrect envelope type or not adding tracking to the shipment can create unintended problems, especially if it gets lost!

7. Time-Based Assumptions: A lot of people assume that processing times for passports are a lot shorter than they actually are. Then, if you even have a small error somewhere in your application, the timing of your processing gets pushed back even further, which can jeopardize your travel plans.

What can be the most surprising is that none of these errors are even something most of us would classify as a major mistake. They’re simply small details that are too easy to overlook, especially if you’re not a seasoned pro at filling out passport forms already.

Overall, the passport process isn’t necessarily “hard”, it just leaves too much room for error, and the process is unforgiving of those errors when they inevitably get made. That is why third party passport assistance from GovSwift has become an increasingly popular choice for first-timers and seasoned passport holders alike. Not only can our automated process help eliminate omissions and errors, but our review process catches many of these little issues before the application gets submitted, to help increase the likelihood of everything going as planned the first time around.