Leaving soon for that trip abroad? Good for you! You left enough in your budget for some new vacation wear, and enough room in your suitcases to pack it all.
Did you leave enough in your budget for your U.S. passport? If you leave your passport renewal, or first time passport application, to the last minute, chances are you might be surprised by some of the fees.
Who needs a passport? Every traveler in your party, even an infant. A passport is a necessary official travel document issued and regulated by the U.S. Department of State. It is illegal to leave or enter the country without holding a current passport. Only U.S. citizens and noncitizen nationals with proper documentation can obtain one. It contains the following proof of identity about you: your name, date of birth, place of birth, a 2 x 2 inch photograph (head and shoulders picture) of you, your signature, your gender, and your nationality. Your little official travel booklet is generally good for ten years.
Passport Fees Can Be Affordable
The good news is that a U.S. passport is affordable if you have planned it advance. The not-so-good news? If getting your first passport or renewing your expired passport was left to the last few days before your departure, the fee schedule can be hefty. There are of course certain unavoidable and even emergent circumstances that necessitate obtaining a passport in a hurry. There is help out there for that.
But lets focus on the total fee schedule for obtaining a passport or renewing an expired one. It comes down to two things: where you get it and how fast you need it. The cost factor starts at $110 for an adult renewal, and at $135 for first time applicants, if you have all of your ducks in a row. (Minors under the age of 16 start at $80.)
The U.S. Department of State breaks down their fee schedule in clear, user-friendly terms on their website at https://travel.state.gov. There, you can also find the necessary forms to download and print to save time, an estimate on processing times that is updated daily, and even a link to check on the status of your application. If you do not have ready computer access, you can call the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at 1-877-487-2778 (for TDD/TTY 1-888-874-7793) and request the necessary form or forms be mailed to you.
Where to Get Passport Forms?
Which passport application form do you need? The DS-11 is for first time U.S. passports, minor renewals, expired passports greater than 15 years, and for those travelers who have changed their name since their last passport, but do not possess the required legal proof. If you are renewing an expired passport, (or changed your name since the last one and do have the proof) then the DS-82 form is the one for you.
Alright, you have your application form filled out and have gathered up all the necessary documentation listed on that form. This is where it comes down to how much time you have before your departure abroad, which is going to dictate where you obtain your passport.
There are Three Types of Circumstances - and Three Sets of Passport Fees:
If you left enough time before your trip and planned things out, then the routine processing time for obtaining your first passport or renewing your expired one will work. And that will save you in fees; by mail a renewal will cost $110. First-timers need go in person to a passport acceptance facility (the USPS office, clerk of the court) or a Regional Passport Agency and you can expect to pay an additional $25 "execution" fee. This fee does not apply for the DS-82 renewal form.
Needing a passport within under a month of your travel date means your situation must be expedited - which also means additional fees. By mail, in addition to that $110, you'll have to spend $60 more. And the U.S. State Department urges you to add $20.66 in postal fees for them to get it back to you overnight after it has been processed.
What if your departure abroad is just in a few days? Don't panic. This limits your choices, but it can be done, either through a Regional Passport Agency (remember, this is appointment only; they will not take walk-ins) or a private passport expediting agency service.
Passport Expediting Fees
A passport expediting agency service is a private courier company that will handle your passport application or renewal - in some cases hand-delivering your items - for processing. Their fees, however, are on top of the governmental fees and can range widely. Since they are private companies which can be anywhere from a small 'start-up' site to a large company, their fees are not regulated.
A note on trusting private services: Do your homework in vetting one. Talk to a live person on the phone and ask a lot of questions before handing over your personal information and money. Beware of scams. If it doesn't seem legitimate, it probably isn't. An online query of several passport expediting agency courier sites turned up additional fees in excess of $300 in some cases.
They may be necessary though if you are not within reasonable driving distance from one of the Regional Passport Agencies. For example, there is only one in the Sunshine State of Florida, and it's in Miami. The good thing about Regional Passport Agencies is they are government-approved to process a last-minute U.S. passport application, even if it is your first time traveling abroad.
How To Save on Passport Fees
The wisest advice on how to save on U.S. passport and passport renewal fees is to plan ahead, and not need an expedited application at all. Of course, this is life and unpredictable things - even a trip abroad - can happen. Breathe. Don't panic. The best resource believe it or not is right under your fingertips at the U.S. Department of State, or at the other end of the phone at the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at 1-877-487-2778 (for TDD/TTY 1-888-874-7793).
Passport fees may feel like just one more headache when you're making your arrangements. But the feeling of finally taking that vacation abroad? Priceless.