If I need to know all about a deceased family member and I only have the passport number, what can be known?

Question

Thank you. Full points for best answer

Answer 1

Visit Passport Office personally for more details. It is very difficult.

Answer 2

Well, assuming you know the country that issued that passport, you can probably obtain evidence of that person's citizenship, possibly a copy of the passport photo, and probably a copy of the actual application with whatever information was asked and provided.

I applied for copies of my grandmother's passport application made in 1923; I got her application, description, place and date of birth, place and date of marriage, info about her husband (my grandfather), a copy of an affadavit by her brother in law attesting to her identity and mentioning that my great grandfather served in the Civil War. I also was able to determine the address at which she lived, where she was traveling to, and what ship she was to travel on.

Other countries than the US may have different policies about what information they will release from a passport file, and to whom. You should contact a consulate or embassy of the nation in question to ask. Be prepared to prove your relationship to the person and have a certified copy of their death certificate.

In the case of the US, write to the Department of State in Washington DC, and mark it to the attention of Passport Records and state that it is a "Freedom of Information Request". There is a fee for getting this info, I don't know how much it is now, but not a great deal. The amount depends on the amount of time they spend and how much stuff they copy for you.