The Passport Process
Let’s discuss the process of getting a passport today. It is an essential document for international travel. With H.R. 8281 back up for a vote in Congress, the passport will also be an essential document for people to retain their right to vote.
Just a quick rundown of the SAVE Act for anyone wanting to contact their local congress members. The Safeguard American Voter Elizabeth Act has been reintroduced to Congress to limit who can vote in elections. This act would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote. A state-issued ID (including REAL IDs and military IDs) does not prove citizenship so that most people will provide proof through their birth certificate or passport. This will be an issue for anyone who has changed their last name with marriage because your current legal name will not match your birth certificate, making a passport the most viable option.
These steps relate to individual passports. You and your spouse can get special issuance passports through the military. Those passports only apply to official military travel. My husband got one of these specific passports as soon as he arrived at our last base, but we still had to get a traditional one before any trip. It is important not to mix up the use of these different kinds of passports, but as a spouse, it probably won’t come up unless you are PCSing overseas, in which case each country will have its own rules, and the military should walk you through the process of obtaining one. Even if you have a special military passport to PCS overseas, you will still need a traditional one to travel back to the States for vacation while living internationally.
1. Visit travel.state.gov for the application
You will find a variety of passport application forms based on age, whether or not you’ve had a passport before, and what information needs to be updated. They have a handy form quiz that will point you in the right direction here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/form-finder.html
2. Gather documents
Outside of the application, you must also provide proof of citizenship. A certified copy of a birth certificate is the most common way to present this. If you are someone who changed their last name with marriage, you will need to present your birth certificate, marriage certificate, and a form of ID to prove the name change, like an updated social security card.
3. Passport photo
Most passport facilities don’t take passport photos in the office. You can go to a local CVS or Staples to get these pictures done. You can also have someone take the photo for you at home if you have a well-lit white or off-white background. I’ve always just gone to CVS to avoid getting the photo wrong since they can be pretty picky, but that’s more of an old habit since they used to not accept photos from home.
4. Passport fee
Any official military passport will come without a fee, but a traditional civilian one will cost you. There are two kinds of passports: the book and the card. The passport card is significantly cheaper but limits where someone can go. With a passport card currently, people can visit Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean. However, they can only use the card if traveling by land or sea; it will work for international flights. If the places listed are the only spots you intend to go, then a passport card may be the right choice, but a passport book will cover all those places and the rest of the world. A passport book is about $165 right now, while a card is closer to $65. The fees for minors (under 16) are $15-300 cheaper. The costs are also the same if you update a passport due to a name change.
5. Visit a passport acceptance facility
First-time applicants have to submit their documents in person. Renewals can be done through the mail, but for first timer’s you have to go to a facility. You can usually find a passport office at the local county clerk, courthouse, or post office. Some places will take walk-ins, while others require appointments, but you can usually find out what your location allows on the local website. Please be aware that if you are applying on behalf of a minor child both parents have approved issuing a passport. This is easily done if both parents visit the facility, but a notarized document will also suffice. If one parent has sole custody, they must provide legal documents proving sole custody.
6. Wait for your passport to arrive
Current processing times for passports are 4 to 6 weeks. The average wait times change constantly, and the centers can get pretty backed up, so it is worth applying before you think you need to. They have an expedited option, which will deliver the passport in 2-3 weeks, but this is an extra fee of $60. You can also request 1-2 day delivery for $21.36. The processing times are based on when your information arrives at the center, not when you mail it, so expediting mail can also lessen the wait time. Not expediting the delivery and mailing process can add up to a month before the passport is in your hands. There are urgent processing options, but this requires an appointment, and you must have international travel plans within 14 days. I beg you not to wait until this is necessary. If travel is a plan, then go ahead and get it done.
7. Watch the expiration date
Passports for any 16 and older last for ten years, while passports for those under 16 last for five. This is not a deadline that you want to have sneak up on you especially if you plan a lot of international travel. The renewal process is relatively simple, but it involves repeating all of the steps except for five because renewals can be done by mail. Unfortunately, the fees are the same for those first getting a passport and those renewing. When renewing, you will have to send in the old passport with your application, but they will return it to you with a small hole punch so that you can keep the stamps.
Regardless of whether the SAVE act comes to pass, having a passport is a good idea. It’s another form of ID that can be handy, especially if you haven’t gotten the REAL ID driver’s license yet. It also opens up a world of possibilities for travel. Most of us won’t only see our dreams come true within this country; having access to the rest of the world means having access to a whole new set of dreams that can come true.