Getting Your Walking Papers

With international travel more accessible than ever before, most everyone should have a passport, and there’s no better time than now to start the process.

We’ve tried to make the process a little easier by sifting through the US State Department’s travel site – travel.state.gov – for information on obtaining a US passport.

The State Department operates many passport agencies, located in Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Charleston (SC), Dallas, Denver, Detroit, El Paso, Honolulu, Hot Springs (AR), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York, Norwalk (CT), Philadelphia, Portsmouth (NH), Saint Albans (VT), San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan, Seattle, Stamford (CT), Tucson, and Washington (click the city name for info on that particular agency). Lastly, passport applications can be picked up and submitted at almost all US Post Offices.

You can also download and print a first-time passport application: here.

The total cost (in United States Dollars) for a first-time passport is $165 for anyone aged 16 and over and $135 for anyone under 16. The charge is broken down into the passport fee ($130 for 16 and over/$100 for under 16) and the execution fee ($35 for both). If you apply for your passport directly through the State Department at a passport agency, the total cost may be made in one payment and in several methods. If applying through the post office, the application fee must be made payable to the US Department of State, while the execution fee must be made payable to the US Postal Service.

Additional requirements include a copy of your birth certificate as proof of United States citizenship and a state- or federal government-issued photo ID for proof of identity, along with two 2×2-inch passport photos that can be taken at any FedEx Office or certain stores and pharmacies like Walgreens or CVS. A list of other acceptable documents and forms of ID can be found here.

Passports can take up to 6 weeks to arrive, but can be expedited by visiting a passport agency, or requesting rush service with the application at the post office, for an additional $60. More information on an expedited passport can be found here.

You can also check on the status of your passport application here.

Passports for adults are usually valid for 10 years. Passports for children are valid for less time and require a different application procedure (check here).

Most foreign governments require that a US passport be valid for at least another six months after the conclusion of the trip. An adult renewal passport costs $130, and more information can be found here.

For international ballers who are running out of room in their still-valid passports, extra pages can be ordered, or you can get a newer, thicker passport here.

In addition to the traditional passport book, for land and sea journeys between the US and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and some Caribbean destinations, a wallet-size passport card is also available. It is not valid for international travel by air. The cards cost $65 for a first-time adult applicant, $50 for a first-time child applicant, and you can save a bit of money if you apply for the passport card at the same time as a passport book.

Do you know someone you can encourage to apply for their first passport? Have you had any challenges while applying for your passport?