How to Get a Passport in Asheville North Carolina : visasupply.com

Editor's Note: U.S. passports are currently taking up to seven weeks to process using the government's expedited service. It is possible to get a passport in less time by scheduling an appointment with the Passport Agency by calling 877-487-2778 and appearing in person at their office.

An increasing number of Asheville residents are obtaining U.S. passports as demand for international travel grows, especially among employees of major companies with a strong presence in the area. While largely known as a tourism destination, Asheville’s economy also spans healthcare, science, technology, arts, and culture.

Known as “The Land of the Sky,” Asheville lies in Buncombe County within the Blue Ridge Mountains near Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The region boasts a thriving arts and crafts community, plentiful live music, antique shops, boutiques, and America’s largest home, the Biltmore Estate. Direct access to I-26 and I-40 also provides a logistics and transportation hub that connects cities along the East Coast. Top employers in Buncombe County include manufacturers GE Aviation, Eaton Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific, BorgWarner Turbo Systems, Unison Engine Components, and Jabil Circuit. Other large employers include Teletech Services Corporation, construction firm M.B. Haynes Corp., and Biltmore Workforce Management, Inc.

Asheville is also growing in popularity for those seeking a second home or a retirement destination. The city regularly ranks among the top 10 retirement destinations listed by such publications as Forbes, Money, and U.S. News and World Reports. “Not only does Western North Carolina boast amazing outdoor activities, but the Asheville area, and in particular downtown Asheville, is rich in culture, award-winning cuisine, and signature Southern hospitality,” according to Romantic Asheville (https://www.romanticasheville.com/retirement). “Asheville, which sits at 2,000 feet of elevation, offers stunning mountain views and easy access to the Blue Ridge Parkway.” Locals sometimes refer to these newcomers as “halfbacks”: Northerners who moved to Florida, found the climate too hot, and moved halfway back to the more moderate North Carolina mountain climate. While many have found a home in Asheville, well-to-do retirees still enjoy international travel, spurring continued demand for passports.

North Carolina’s strong economy and growing population are also contributing factors to the increased demand for new passports. Of North Carolina’s 10.7 million residents, more than 94,000 live in the city of Asheville and more than 371,000 reside in the Asheville metropolitan area. (The metro area is also known as the Metrolina, as it encompasses portions of North and South Carolina). More than 476,000 people live in the five-county Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania counties. In 2022, the U.S. Passport Agency issued 464,057 passports to North Carolina residents—a significant rebound beyond the pre-COVID level of 441,965 in fiscal 2020.

The Asheville Regional Airport is served by six carriers that offer flights to dozens of U.S. destinations. Two hours away, Charlotte Douglas International Airport is one of the world’s busiest airports, ranking seventh in 2022. The airport is served by eight major carriers, 15 regional airlines, and three foreign flag carriers. It averages 1,400 arrivals/departures and 118,000 travelers each day. Charlotte handles almost 48 million passengers annually and provides nonstop service to 178 destinations (including 36 international locations and three U.S. territories).

The area’s numerous educational and religious institutions also fuel global travel. A dozen public and private colleges and universities offer degrees in the region. The University of North Carolina at Asheville (UNC Asheville), Brevard College in Brevard, and Western Carolina University (WCU) in Cullowhee all have international programs that provide opportunities for American students to study abroad. There are numerous churches and religious organizations in the greater metro area, including the headquarters for the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina and the Basilica of St. Lawrence, a pilgrimage destination for the state’s Catholics. The region’s strong economy and population growth also means that more North Carolina residents have the means to travel internationally for business and/or pleasure.

To travel abroad, adults (ages 16 and up) need a U.S. passport. The passport is good for 10 years, after which it must be renewed. To obtain a new passport or renew an existing one, you will have to appear in person at an authorized passport acceptance facility. Employees at these government facilities will verify your identity and your documentation. You will also have to appear in person if:

You previously held a child’s passport (only good for five years);
Your passport expired more than five years ago; or
Your passport has been lost or damaged.

In Asheville, there are three options to obtain a new passport: visit a local passport acceptance facility; drive to the Passport Agency in Atlanta (by appointment only); or, in certain circumstances, use a private passport service such as Visa Supply to expedite delivery.

(NOTE: If you already have an adult passport in your possession that is in good condition, and it expired less than five years ago (or has yet to expire and you wish to renew), click here to learn how to renew a passport: https://www.visasupply.com/passports-and-visas-101/post/passport-renewal-in-atlanta.

Option 1: Appear at an Acceptance Facility

The most common way to obtain or renew a passport is by visiting a passport acceptance facility. This link allows you to find the closest facility to your ZIP code: https://iafdb.travel.state.gov. Asheville area residents can also visit one of the local county courthouses that serve as a passport acceptance facility. One such facility is the Transylvania County Register of Deeds, a 45-minute drive from Asheville (https://www.transylvaniacounty.org/passports#). The Register of Deeds Office is located at 20 East Morgan Street in Brevard, NC. Passport appointments are required and can be made by calling 828-884-3162 or 828-884-1799. You can also use this link to schedule an appointment with a USPS facility that offers passport services: https://tools.usps.com/rcas.htm.

The basic form for a new passport (DS-11) is available online at https://pptform.state.gov/. You can complete the form online and then print it out, and take with you to the acceptance facility. (Do NOT sign the passport form in advance, as the government agent must witness your signature.) You may also fill out the DS-11 form by hand at the passport acceptance facility.

You will submit supporting documentation along with form DS-11. The required documents include:

Your long-form birth certificate or a government-certified copy of that certificate. {If you need to order a new copy of your birth certificate, we recommend using VitalChek (https://www.vitalchek.com), a private company with an easy-to-use process and less expensive rates.}
For naturalized citizens, their original certificate of naturalization.
State-issued driver’s license.
One photo that meets all passport image criteria, and properly attached to the application. (See https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/photos.html.)
A check or money payable to the U.S. Department of State. The basic passport fee is $130. Additional charges apply for expedited service and other options. For a full list of fees, please visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/fees.html.
Another $35 payable via check, money order, cash or debit card to be paid to the passport acceptance facility for the identity verification process. (Check with the specific facility for the exact forms of payment they accept.)

Passport acceptance facilities are government offices but they do not actually issue the passport. These facilities will verify your documents and forward them to the State Department’s Passport Agency. The normal turnaround time for renewals by mail is eight to eleven weeks. Expedited service within seven weeks is available for an added fee. You can also pay extra for return delivery in two days (rather than the typical first-class mailing).

Option2: Apply in Person at a U.S. Passport Agency

If you need to travel within the next month, you will need to apply in person at a federal passport office. There is no federal passport office in North Carolina, so the closest location is the U.S. Passport Agency in Atlanta. The downtown Atlanta office at 230 Peachtree Street is roughly a three-hour drive from Asheville. You can ONLY apply in person here if you can prove the need to travel within the next two weeks – or four weeks if you are traveling to a country that requires a visa. You will need to fill out Form DS-11 and make an appointment directly with the Atlanta office by calling 877-487-2778. Note that the agencies are busy during the summer travel season and around the holidays, so give yourself plenty of lead time.

For your appointment, bring the identification listed above, as well as:

Your appointment confirmation number
Proof of travel plans, such as your flight itinerary, hotel reservation or cruise tickets
One passport photo
Methods of payment. The agency takes major credit cards, debit cards, cash, checks and money orders. In addition to normal costs, there is an additional $60 expediting fee.

Contact information, directions and other details about the Atlanta Passport Agency are available at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/passport-agencies/atlanta.html.

Visiting the Passport Agency is more expensive and less convenient than using a local acceptance facility when you factor in the added costs for transportation and your time. However, if you need a passport quickly, it is worth the extra effort. Unlike a passport acceptance facility, the Passport Agency can issue your new passport – often on the same day or the following day.

Option 3: Use a Private Passport Service

The third option is to use a private passport expediter such as Visa Supply to speed up the turnaround time. For this option, you still need to visit a passport acceptance facility so a government official can verify your identity and documents. Normally the facility can only forward your documents to the State Department for processing. However, if you are using a courier service such as Visa Supply, the acceptance facility will seal your documents in an envelope and return them to you. You will then take that envelope back to our office so we can ship it to one of our couriers in San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, or Washington, D.C., so we can expedite your passport application.

Our office is located in the Atlanta suburb of Sandy Springs, also about a three-hour drive from Asheville. If you want Visa Supply to help you, it is usually better to visit our office in-person so we can take your passport photo; help you prepare your DS-11 application; plus review your documentation. You can take these documents to the DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court in Decatur (about a 30-minute drive from our office), and then return the sealed envelope to Visa Supply so we can expedite your application with the Passport Agency.

Since Visa Supply is a private company, we charge a fee for our services (in addition to the government’s $190 expedite fee for a passport book). Beyond the convenience of using our office, we make sure your application form is filled out correctly. We also take your passport photo and will ensure that it meets the government’s specifications. Our basic service starts at $100. Customers receive their new passport (along with the old one) within seven weeks; for additional fees we can also get passports renewed in as fast as one week. Please call us for the latest details.

Asheville residents with questions about obtaining a new U.S. passport can schedule a telephone call through our website. Our free consultation will explain the process of getting a passport and help you understand the different options for getting a passport based on your international travel plans.