How to Apply for Your First Passport

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Published on Wednesday, February 08, 2012 00:17

Written by Technology TravelingMom

Traveling overseas? Or are you heading off on your first cruise - or even planning to cross the border into Canada? For any and all of the above, a US passport or passport card is now required. I recently applied for my first passport for an upcoming cruise and found the process to be much less intimidating than I’d always expected. If you’ve never applied for a passport before, here’s what you need to know in order to make the process (and therefore hopefully your trip) go as smoothly as possible:

Processing Time

First of all, make sure you leave plenty of time for your application to be processed before you’re expecting to travel. It can take up to 4-6 weeks to receive your passport so don’t push it with the timing. If you’re traveling sooner, you can apply for expedited service, but even that takes 2-3 weeks (and costs extra). I was lucky - my passport arrived after only a couple of weeks even with the regular service, but I had built in extra time anyway.

You can fill out the application online (form DS-11) - and this will help save time when you go into the passport acceptance facility, so it’s encouraged. Once you’ve filled everything out, print the entire application to take with you. Make sure you print in black ink, on one-sided pages.

Apply in Person

Since you’re applying for your first passport, you must go into a local passport acceptance facility to submit your application in person. If you’re not in a hurry, you can apply at a local Passport Application Acceptance Facility - but if you’re leaving in less than two weeks, you’ll need to visit one of the 24 Regional Passport Agencies in the US. Many post offices or city offices are passport acceptance facilities - but not all of them have walk-in hours available. Check to see if an appointment is required before you make the drive!

Documentation to Bring

You’ll need to have your driver’s license (or government or military ID) and original proof of citizenship with you when you apply (bring a photocopy of both sides of your ID to be sent in with your application). You can see the list of acceptable citizenship proof options online - but keep in mind that if you’re using your birth certificate it needs to be the certified copy that has the actual seal on it and it will need to be sent in with your application (although it will be returned to you by mail after your application has been processed). It’ll come back to you in a separate mailing from your passport - although I’ve received the passport already, my birth certificate hasn’t yet arrived back.

Passport Photo

At many passport acceptance facilities you can get your photo taken right there, or you can have one taken at various retail locations. I went to Walgreens, where I paid $9.99 for two passport photos - versus paying $15 for one photo at my local post office. Not every passport acceptance facility has the ability to take photos, so make sure to check. You can take your own photo if you choose, but make sure it meets the specific requirements for a passport. If you need passport photos taken for your kids, just remember to be patient and build in extra time.

Fees

Passports are not cheap - so keep this in mind as one of your travel expenses. For a basic adult passport (non-expedited), the cost is $110, plus a $25 execution fee. If you need expedited service to get your passport sooner, it’ll add an extra $60 to your total. The basic passport fee for kids (under age 16) is lower - $80 plus the execution fee. Double-check the fees online before you head to the passport acceptance facility so that you know exactly how much you’ll need to bring with you.

Passport Renewal

Your brand-new US passport will be good for 10 years and often they can be renewed by mail. Just don’t forget to renew in plenty of time before traveling - although even if it does expire, all is not necessarily lost.

Passport Card

If you’re going to be crossing the border only through Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry, you can use a passport card instead of a passport book. This option is less expensive and more convenient - but passport cards can’t be used if you’re traveling internationally by air, so make sure you’re choosing the option that’s best for you and your travel needs. You can apply for both at the same time, although there's no cost savings other than only paying one execution fee instead of two.

2012 Passport Day in the USA

On Saturday, March 10, 2012 you can apply for your US passport without an appointment at a a Regional Passport Agency, either for standard processing or you can pay the extra $60 for expedited processing. If you need to get your passport, check and see if there’s a participating Agency or Acceptance Facility near you.

Deb is Traveling Mom's Social Media Manager and writes as West Michigan TravelingMom, as well as at Just a mom’s take on things…. You can also find her on Twitter - she’s @DebMomOf3.