Many Americans want to travel abroad, and a passport is a necessity for them. Even if you just want to visit Canada, you have to have a passport these days. Obtaining a passport is not a difficult process, though. In this article, I will discuss the steps you will need to take in order to receive your own passport.
Visit the Travel.State.Gov Website –
At this website, you can download the documentation that you will need to process your passport. You can also find out more information about how you can renew your passport if you already have one. Anyway, if this is your first attempt at obtaining a passport then click here. To simply renew your passport, click here.
You have the option of entering your information online, or simply downloading the pdf onto your computer to print out. If you have bad handwriting skills then you may wish to go ahead and fill out the pdf online, and then print the document from the website. Or you can just print out the documents, and fill them out by hand if you so desire.
Picture ID –
In order to be eligible for your passport, you must have two photo IDs of yourself. You simply need to take one full frontal picture of yourself, and print it out two times. Keep in mind that the photo must be exactly two inches on all its sides, and the paper that the picture is printed on needs to be able to withstand two hundred and twenty five degrees Fahrenheit.
So you may want a professional to do it for you. You can simply go to Walgreens or somewhere similar, and have it done. The process should only take a few minutes, and your picture should be ready in an hour or two. And it costs about nine dollars if you go to Walgreens.
Identification –
You will also need to fill out your social security number on the passport paperwork and your date of birth. Another requirement is that you have your original birth certificate. As for the social security card itself, you only need the number. You are not required to give the passport agency your social security card. And make sure you have your driver’s license on hand as well.
Find a Passport Agency –
There are over nine thousand different agencies in the United States that will process your passport documents. The Travel.State.Gov website also provides another link to these different agencies. The agencies consist of federal buildings, post offices; etc. Click here for more information.
Cost –
The cost of a US passport isn’t too terrible. The passport will last for ten years, so the price is reasonable. As for what that price is, it comes to ninety seven dollars total and this includes shipping. However, if you would like to have your passport rushed then expect to pay an extra sixty dollars. So that brings your grand total to one hundred fifty seven dollars.
Shipping –
Shipping times will vary depending on how many people want a passport. As of August 2007, the expected wait time for passports with standard shipping is eight to twelve weeks. If you choose to rush the shipping, your passport should arrive between two and four weeks.
As you can see, obtaining a passport is not a very difficult process. It can take quite a while for you to receive your passport, so keep that in mind when you are applying for yours. Other then the waiting, it’s very easy. So now you have no excuse for not getting yours.
