Long gone are the days when you have to wait in long lines waiting for your turn! Thanks to technology, it’s now easier than ever to get your papers done. There are online services for almost every kind of procedure you need to go through to get a license, certification, or even your passport.
This is a great advantage, you should make use of, especially if you’re planning for your next trip. If you’ve been so caught up with getting your travel checklist ready and you’re dreading the procedures of getting your passport, we have good news for you! Processing your passport is only 4 steps away.
4 Easy Steps to Process Your Passport
1.Get Your Documents Ready
Just like your travel checklist, let’s get your document checklist ready. To get your first US passport, you’ll need the following:
- Proof of your US citizenship. This means your Birth Certificate if you’ve been born in the U.S., a Naturalization Certificate if you’re a naturalized citizen, or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad if you were born abroad to American parents. Your proof of citizenship needs to be an original copy, alongside a photocopy.
- Another form of identification, such as your driver’s license, government ID or military ID.
- Filled in DS-11 form.
- 2 personal photos for your passport. Don’t take the pictures yourself! Passport photos have strict requirements, so it’s better if you go to FedEx or UPS stores for that.
- Fees Money, usually ranging from $135 to $165.
- Checks of the fees.
2. Fill In the Application
You’ll find the passport application in the U.S. Department of State’s website. You can choose to either fill it online and then download and print it, or print it to fill it out by hand. It’s pretty easy to fill out, but whichever option you choose, take your time to carefully fill in the information correctly. Make sure to go through it again to check if you’ve missed out any required information.
You need to remember to not sign the application. One of the employees at the passport acceptance facility has to witness you signing it.
You have two fees to pay: an application fee of $110 to the U.S. Department of State, and an execution fee of $25 to the acceptance facility. This usually costs between $135 and $165 as a first time applicant, but might be less if you’re less than 16 years old, or different depending on the shipping method you use.
This is where you ask, “What is the closest passport office near me?” When you’ve found your nearest acceptance facility, and after triple checking all of your documents, all you have left to do is to submit your application in-person.
It might take 4-6 weeks for your passport to get processed, but usually it takes less. If you’re in a hurry, you can expedite it into 2-3 weeks. For emergency situations that need even less time, you’ll have to visit a passport agency and pay extra fees, after meeting certain criteria.
Plan Your Next Trip Carefreely
Now that processing your passport is easier than ever, you can plan your next trip without a worrying about papers and procedures. Just make sure that everything is in place, double and triple check all of your documents. You don’t have to go delay your plans because you’ve missed something. With that out of the way, where do plan on traveling next?
