The world seems as if it’s growing smaller by the day. Certainly, the ability of people to travel from one part of the globe to another and in just a few hours is making travel more common for more people than ever before. Of course, a passport is generally needed to go from one country to another and that means what to know about making a passport application can be important for most.
The first thing to understand is that in the United States, the State Department is the issuing authority for all US passports. And while it might seem daunting at first glance to obtain a passport, it actually isn’t. In general, people have a couple of different ways of doing so; either on their own through passport centers run by the government or by hiring a passport expediting service.
For those people who are at least 16 years of age and who need their initial (meaning first-time) passport, there are a number of steps that have to be taken. This includes making an application is person at a passport agency or servicing center. In some cases, they can use expediting services. Many passport agencies can be found at US post offices.
In addition to having to make the application in person, it’ll be necessary to fill out the right form. Currently, for first-timers, this is government Form DS-11. It’s also known as an Application for US Passport. There are a couple of other different documents that have to be submitted along with it and it has to be signed in front of a passport worker. Documents include proof of citizenship and identity.
Proof of citizenship, as far as Homeland Security regulations are concerned, takes the form of certain acceptable documents only. For one, a birth certificate with a raised seal, a certificate of citizenship or a certificate of naturalization are all acceptable. If those are unavailable, there are certain secondary-type documents that can be used. Check the State Department passport website for info.
Documentation that pertains to identification is extremely varied, which is fortunate. As far as examples go, standard documents such as a government-issued ID card or a valid driver’s license or military identification card will work. Secondary-type ID when it comes to this category can include a library card, a credit card and a Social Security card, by the way.
Currently, fees for the issuance of an adult passport (i.e., for those 16 years of age and older) can run from $20 to $95 for the passport itself, along with a $25 execution fee. Methods for payment are extremely varied, depending on whether application is made in person or through the mails and such. These can include credit and debit cards as well as money orders, exact cash and even personal checks.
Even though it can seem a bit complicated at first, making a pass port form go smoothly is actually fairly straightforward. The first thing to do, of course, is to visit the passport section of the State Department website. Of course, one can always take on the services of an expedited U.S. passport service. These businesses can make the whole process go very easily and quickly.
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