Summer Time Travel: Preparing Your Passport

Summer is quickly approaching, and the time for travel is upon us. So paying attention to the new and current rules for applying and retaining a current passport is of the utmost importance. No one wants to arrive at the airport check in with an invalid, non-current passport and spoil what was to be a wonderful relaxing summer vacation.

The number one thing to remember when applying for a passport is to do it well in advance! Many people do not apply early enough and risk not getting the passport mailed to them on time. If you do not apply a few months in advance the US Post Office does offer expedited service for an additional sixty dollar fee, that is on top of the already pricy ninety-seven dollar charge for people age sixteen and up. As I said before, the best way to avoid this problem is to apply at least three months in advance.

For those of us who already hold a United States passport, it is important to keep it current. As of 26 September 2005, the US government stopped offering passport amendments. Instead, due to heightened security, "Customers requesting name changes, extension of validity for limited passports, or correction of a printing error will apply for replacement passports" (U.S. Department of State). The fees associated with editing a passport depend on the time of issuance. According to the U.S. Department of State, "If the change is more than a year after issuance, customers will need to submit an Application for Passport By Mail (DS-82), together with the passport that needs the change, the documentation required, and new pictures." Basically, you are applying for a new passport all together. The cost for this little adjustment is a total of sixty-seven dollars. There are only two ways of making changes to a passport without being charged, and those are: (1) If the changes being made to the printing on the passport are the fault of Passport Services instead of your own, or (2) If the changes are "within one year after issuance," in this case a person "will submit a U.S. Passport Re-Application Form (DS-5504), together with the passport that needs the change, the documentation required, and new passport pictures" (U.S. Department of State).

Next on the list of summer travel prep is to apply for your travel visas. Many countries do not require that United States Travelers hold a visa to enter their country if the visit is ninety days or less. However, if a visa is required it is important to review all the necessary information on application dates and the length each passport is valid for. This sort of information can be obtained on the internet through an official tour web page for that particular country, or the countries consulate/embassy web page. The information available on these web pages will give the travel the appropriate time-line to apply for their specific visas. As usual, if you are applying for a visa you must have your passport present and have open pages available on the passport for the visa to be attached. If the travelers passport does not have open pages you may apply for additions to the passport by submitting "An Application for Additional Visa Pages (DS-4085). This service is always free of charge when routine" (U.S. Department of State).

That about wraps up the preparations for a current and valid passport, you are now prepared for a wonderful trouble free summer vacation, or at least for hassle free travel, the vacation is up to you!

Works Cited:

U.S. Department of State. "Important Passport Security Enhancement: No Amendments." (19 Sept. 2005). Accessed 26 May 2007 http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2005/53505.htm>.