Travel Tips

Posts Tagged ‘getting a passport’

A passport is the ways and means for an individual to travel from country to country and prove their citizenship and eligibility to travel. A U.S. passport application needs to be filled out and submitted in order to obtain one of these. There are, however, different applications for different circumstances and selecting the correct one first could mean the difference between a smooth process and a rough one.

The majority of people that need a passport are business travelers who find themselves going abroad for work. There are the occasional travelers that will need to have one also and they both may be needed quicker than anticipated. For some, the entire process of getting a passport may be daunting, but there are service providers to assist in this that may be found online.

Anyone that is looking for a passport application can either head to their local passport office or just download it off of the Internet. While there are other sites that provide this source, it is generally best to stick to the state websites to make sure that there are no issues with a form being downloaded improperly. There should also be a FAQ that will go over in detail how to fill out the form.

Once the forms have actually been filled out, supporting documents will have to be added before the application will be considered complete. It is also important to note that any first time applicant must not sign their forms until they are actually in the window in front of the clerk. They must witness the signing or the forms are invalid.

The website should have complete instructions for every form that is needed and what form applies to what situation. It is at this point that a private agency may come into play, especially if there are expedited services that are needed. Many of these agencies can handle filling out and submitting the paperwork for the applicant, depending upon their overall category.

In most situations, the normal turnaround time for a passport is about six weeks. They also offer expedited service for an additional $60 of two to three weeks, however, this time frame is not guaranteed. Anyone who is traveling sooner than that or that just wants their passport quicker, must use one of the private offices that can get a passport back to an applicant in as little as 24 hours.

When everything has finally been gathered together, it is time to ship the forms and documents off. Wait! Do not forget to put in the passport photos or all of this hard work will be for nothing. The photos should be issued from a photographer that can size them appropriately (2’x2’) and they should be of a decent quality.

Now that it is time to ship everything off with the American passport application, make sure a quality overnight provider is used. We recommend this because you will want to have tracking information on the documents. With things such as a birth certificate and drivers license being put into the package, it is important that it gets to where it is going with no challenges. Then you will be well on your way to getting an American passport!