Traveling overseas and visiting different countries is an awesome experience. But before buying your first plane ticket for overseas you’ll need a key document: a passport. Obtaining a passport is not as tedious as you would imagine, but actually receiving the passport could take a few weeks, which is totally worth it when it comes. If you are from the United States you can visit the U.S. State Department website for information on applying for passport. Keep in mind however, that there’s a lot of information to sift through so here’s a simple guide to obtaining your passport and filling out the application.
First Time Travelers
If you are getting your first passport you will need to fill out the application in person or you can fill it out online and print it from home.
- First time passport applicants and applicants under age 16 with parental permission have to fill out the DS-11 form.
- For the application you will need to provide proof of citizenship, identification card along with photocopy of your I.D. front and back on 8.5 in x 11 in paper, black and white ink, legible, and clear.
- Provide a recent 2 x 2 color photo with your application. Drug stores such as Walgreens and CVS provide passport photo services or you can also go to a passport acceptance facility such as a U.S. Postal Office. It’s important that the photo meets government standards. So beware if CVS does not cut the photo perfectly —this happened to me and I wasted money on my CVS photos.
- A Passport book is $110, a passport card is $30, and both are $140 plus the $25 execution fee for all options. First time adult applicants pay $135. If you want a passport book and passport card that’s $165. A passport card is a means of identification to prove citizenship and identity for travel by and sea to Canada, Mexico Bermuda, and the Caribbean. However, the passport card can not be used for international air travel or for visas.
Where to Submit the Passport Application
When applying for your passport, you should submit it several months before your trip. Processing time takes up to six weeks, or two to three weeks if you choose expedited delivery. The U.S. Department of State’s travel website provides a search tool to find passport acceptance facilities near you that can take your application. When you’ve sent in your passport application, you can check your application status after seven to ten business days.
Applying for a passport is a straightforward process. The State Department also provides a step-by-step video to help guide you when applying for a passport application in person.
photo credit: clappstar Passport USA via photopin (license)
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