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The Practice Of Obtaining A Passport Is Quite Easy

By Ben Pate


A large group of today's global travelers are American citizens. Of course getting a USA Passport is an essential prerequisite for anyone before they can cross the border into another country. This document acts as your identification and authorization for entry to other countries. It must be kept safe at all times.

Many people think that getting an urgent new passport is somewhat confusing and a hassle. They don't know how to get it or where to start. The good news is that getting one really is quite easy.

US Passport Services, a division of the Bureau Consular Affairs, is responsible for the issue and renewal of passports to US citizens. There are sixteen main offices across the country. In addition applicants can go to any one of the other nine thousand facilities which deal with the issue and renewal requests. Only biometric passports with machine readable parts as well as visually readable parts are issued nowadays.

Applicants must produce a certified copy of their birth certificates when requesting new travel documents. The old one will suffice when you apply for a renewal. Applicants who were born outside the US need to produce the necessary documents from the Consular Report of Birth Abroad. The obligatory application form can be collected from any US Postal Service facility. US Postal Service offers the option to download forms online.

What you need to do is go to one of these places, fill out an application form. This form can be downloaded online or picked up at the US Postal Service. There are different types of passports, each with a unique application which each has different document requirements. People getting this document for the first time will need the DS-11 form. If the previous one was issued before the age of 16, the form DS-11 will suffice to get a new one. Form DS-82 needs to be filled out and mailed. In the instance of lost or stolen passports, form DS-64 will be needed and you will need to explain to the US Department of State's Passport Services how it was lost or stolen.

The fee for this document varies according to the type of application. Two small photographs must be attached to your application. For an additional fee, your photo may be taken at some of these offices.

If you plan to visit a country that requires a visa, you must be prepared with additional photographs as these will be a necessary enclosure. Once you have completed this procedure and handed your application documents in, you will wait about five to six weeks before you receive your travel document in the mail. You might wait longer of you happen to apply at a busy time in the department. If you need your document urgently, you can request an expedited service. This will cost you more in fees and delivery charges, but you can get it within two weeks. You may find services helping with expedited passports online net or request the Department of State's expedited processing service. Passports can be issued within a day or two in cases of dire emergency.




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