Anyone wishing to leave the United States, or any home country for that matter, will need to know how to get an American passport. Today, international travel, even to border countries, requires that passport documentation be used to enter any country from another country. We are going to try and explain the process to make the whole experience easier for first time passport applicants.
The first thing everyone should do before applying for a passport is visit the U.S. Department of State website to read up on any new passport laws or regulations and to check the current estimated passport processing time. The U.S. Department of State is the government agency that oversees international travel as well as U.S. diplomatic relations with foreign countries. The State Department website is the best resource for passport information.
Prior to applying for a passport a potential applicant must get passport photos. Passport photos can be taken at any local one-hour photo counter. Normally, the photo-counter will be able to crop your photos to passport size right in the store. Passport photos must be a certain size so that the processing center can easily place them on the passport. The process is normally relatively quick and inexpensive.
After the photos are obtained, check to make sure that all relevant documentation is on hand. Having a valid drivers license or other current government issued ID will be needed along with proof of citizenship. The applicant is also required to make photo copies of all of their documents.
In many areas, the post office is the passport office of choice. However, not all post office locations can process passports. In addition to that, not all of them have the ability to provide the passport photo service. The easiest way to check is to go to www.usps.com and see if a post office nearby can handle the passport processing.
First time applicants fill out the application at the center. Currently, the Department of State estimates a four to six week processing period for passport applications. This is not a static number and it ends to fluctuate wildly. Typically, passport applications go up a few months before high vacation seasons. The busiest times of the year for international travel are typically summer and the winter holiday season.
Applicants that want or need to receive their passports in less than four to six weeks may consider applying for an expedited passport. For an additional sixty dollars, plus shipping fees, expedited passports typically arrive in half the time. There are other options for super-rush passports, but these are typically quite expensive and should be reserved for dire emergencies. Like all aspects of international travel, passport applications require a bit of planning and foresight.
While getting a filling out the U S passport application form can be a bit of a chore, knowing how to get a USA Passport is half the battle. It is amazing how many people show up without the right documentation, missing photos or even the wrong sized photos. All they get is a shake of the head and sent to the back of the line why they get their things in order.