Passport Information

Country Specfic VISA & Passport info

Starting on January 1, 2007, U.S. travelers will need a passport any time they leave the country, even if they're just going to Canada or Mexico. We've got all the information you need about getting a passport -- including a guide to passport and visa expeditors.

All U.S. citizens, including children, are required to obtain passports in their own names for identification while traveling abroad and for re-entry into the United States. Unless specifically authorized by a passport issuing office, no person may have more than one valid, or potentially valid, U.S. passport of the same type at any one time.

New State Department Requirements

In the past passports were not required for travel to countries like Canada, Mexico and parts of the Caribbean. However, the U.S. State Department has announced that passports will be necessary for all air and sea travel to and from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by by January 8, 2007, and for all land border crossings by December 31, 2007. For more information, see the State Department's guide to the new requirements.

Following is a summary of the passport application process compiled from information provided by the U.S. State Department, all of which can be found on its Web site. You can find checklists of all the materials necessary for each type of application and download the appropriate forms in Passport Applications and Forms.

First-Time Passport Applications

If you are applying for your first U.S. Passport, you must apply in person at one of over 7,000 facilities, such as courthouses and post offices, which accept passport applications or at a regional passport agency. Call your county courthouse or the largest regional post office in your area, or look in your phone book. You will need to provide the following documents:

• Proof of United States citizenship or nationality such as: a certified copy of a birth certificate (one issued from a government office, not a hospital) for all applicants born in the U.S., a Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship, or an expired U.S. passport.
  
  
• Proof of identity (photo ID with signature) such as a previous U.S. passport, a Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship, a valid driver's license, or a valid government or military identification card.
  
  
• Two identical passport photographs taken within the last six months. The photographs must be 2x2 inches with an image size between 1 and 1 3/8 inches. Photographs must be a front view, full face, taken in normal street attire without a hat or dark glasses, with a plain white background.
  
  
• A completed passport application form DS-11 containing all the requested information except your signature. This form must be signed in the presence of an authorized executing official.
  
  

  Passport Renewals

  Applicants who have had a previous U.S. passport issued within the past 15 years, and who were 16 or older when the passport was issued, may be eligible to apply for a new passport by mail providing they can submit their passport and their name has not changed or can legally document a name change. They may also apply in person. Documents required for passport renewals include:
  
  
• U.S. passport.
  
• Two passport photos.
  
• A completed passport application form DS-82 that contains all the requested information and is signed and dated.
  
  If your name has changed due to marriage, divorce, adoption or court order, you must also include a certified copy of the document detailing your name change.
  
  You can order an application form by calling the passport agency nearest you.
  
  Your previous passport will be returned to you with your new passport.
  

Time to Apply

Passport application processing time varies with passport agencies' workloads. It is best to apply in the fall when workload volume is at its lowest. Processing time is normally about six weeks, but you should apply at least six to eight weeks prior to any scheduled international travel.

The spring and summer months are the busiest, so the application process may take longer during these months.

Expedited Passports

If you are leaving on an emergency trip within five working days, apply in person at the nearest passport agency and present your tickets or travel itinerary from an airline, as well as the other required items. Or mail your application overnight express mail and enclose a include a self-addressed, prepaid envelope for the overnight return of the passport, with a check made out to Passport Services and request for its return by overnight express mail. Be sure to include your dates of departure and travel plans on your application.

Applications are processed according to the departure date indicated on the application form. If you give no departure date, the passport agency will assume you have no immediate travel plans. If you are leaving the country in less than 15 work days, enclose a $60 expediting fee (in addition to a two-way overnight mail fee and the initial passport or renewal fee) and clearly mark the envelope "EXPEDITED."

You may also want to consider working with a passport and visa expeditor.

How to get a US passport

(Passport services, US State Department),

US government site gives complete information and downloadable applications for US citizens to apply for a passport. A passport is required for travel to nearly all countries. First-time applicants will have to apply in-person at officially-designated places such as selected Post Offices and County Courthouses (listed in Travel Passport publications). Allow at least a month for processing. 

You can apply for expedited or rush processing to get a passport at extra cost. For fastest processing, apply in person at a Passport Agency (must be traveling within 14 days ) or if there is not an office near you and/or you want to avoid waiting in line at government offices and Need a Passport, Travel Visa or Birth Certificate? Click Here for Official Travel Documents.

Passport Security

When traveling abroad, carry your passport with you at all times in a safe place. It is a good idea to take a photocopy of your passport with you and keep it in a separate safe place along with copies of your credit cards, traveler's checks and plane tickets. If your passport is lost or stolen, U.S. embassies will usually accept this as proof that you're a U.S. citizen and can quickly issue you a temporary passport. It's also a good idea to leave a copy of your passport with someone at home in case of emergency.