First We've Got To Get A Passport!

Every U.S. Citizen desiring to travel to another country, including infants, need a passport.  Hoping to make this process easier for you, listed below are some suggestions for you. One important thing to keep in mind is "start early."  Give yourself enough time to collect all personal information.  Don't wait until the last minute or you might be delaying your trip.

Listed below is a lot of information, but hopefully helpful.

Fill out Form DS-11, Application for a U.S. Passport .  Both the paper and the electronic forms are located on the Department’s website at http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds11/ds11_842.html.

Next you'll need to locate appropriate evidence of your U.S. citizenship. Evidence of U.S. citizenship accepted by the Department includes:

• A previously issued U.S. Passport. Previously issued U.S. Passports presented as evidence of citizenship must be undamaged and legible.  If you submit a passport, you won't need to send your birth certificate.

• A certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state. A certified birth certificate has a registrar's seal and signature, and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar's office. This date must have been within 1 year of your birth. After March 31, 2011, all birth certificates must also include the full names of the Applicant's parents.
• Valid Driver's License. The driver’s license must have been issued by a U.S. state. Make a legible copy.
• Current Government identification card. Accepted government ID includes any identification card issued by a city, state, or federal government.
• Current Military identification card. Accepted military ID includes both military and dependent identification cards issued by the U.S. military.

Make a copy of your ID. The copy must include both the front and the back of the document, be on plain white 8 ½” by 11 ½” paper, and contain images only on one side of the page.

Obtain a passport photograph. Your photograph must meet very strict requirements, which can be found on the Department’s website at http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/pptphotoreq/pptphotoreq_5333.html. You may take the photograph yourself or use a professional passport photograph service such as:

• CVS. CVS offers passport photography services for under $10 at 1000’s of locations. Photographs adhere to the Department’s standards for passport photos.
• Walgreens. Walgreens offers passport photo services for just under $10 at most Walgreen stores.
• Post offices. Most post offices offer photography for passports and the charge is generally nominal. Visit your local post office, if you know when you are going to travel, then tell them the dates to hold your mail.
• Local photography studios. Many local photography studios offer passport and other government ID photo services at very reasonable prices. Check your phone book for studios near you offering passport photography services.

Submit your completed Form DS-11, citizenship documentation, present identification, copy of your ID, and passport photo to the Department in person. You may submit this information to either an Acceptance Facility or a Passport Agency or Center.

 

Accomplishing the above tasks were not too difficult.  Once we had our application forms filled out for the passport, we contacted the Vital Records Department for Washington D.C., as this was where Wayne and I were both born.   We filled out the application online for Birth Certificates, obtained the required personal information, made copies of our driver's licenses and paid the fee online. The certificates were mailed to us within two weeks.

Next, we contacted our local Post Office and set up an appointment to come in and file our applications.  Don't forget to take the required copies of personal information. I had a previous, though expired passport and that was acceptable in lieu of my birth certificate.  The fee to the Post Office was $25.00 per application for their handling fees which we paid with our check card. A fee of  $110.00 to the State Department for each passport application.The State Department only accepts personal checks or money orders. 

We also had our passport photo taken at our local Rite Aid store for $10.00 per person. Be prepared your photo might turn out looking like a convict photo...just kidding, but it won't be your most flattering photo.

We received our passports within two weeks.