If you desire to travel outside of the country you will need a passport. A passport is government issued legal documentation that verifies your citizenship. In most cases a passport will contain a photograph, your personal information and numerous blank pages that are intended for stamps that grant your access to a foreign country. The process of applying for a passport is relatively easy, but there are several steps you will need to take.
Applying for a passport involves having your personal records on hand in order to prove who you are. These documents include a state issued Identification card (ID) or a drivers license, and your birth certificate. Without these documents you will be unable to process the necessary paper work.
If you do not have a copy of your birth certificate, this is the first issue of business you should address. Obtaining a birth certificate for the purpose of applying for a passport is simple. You need to contact the Office of Vital Records for the town you were born in.
When have obtained your birth certificate, you can then continue with the process. If you have applied before, you can renew on line. However, if this is your first time applying for a passport, you will need to do it in person.
When applying online you simply need to access the website for the U. S. State Department. When applying online it is a good idea to refrain from signing the application until it has been approved. Doing otherwise could result in someone else accessing your passport.
Applying for a passport can be done at the post office or at the county clerk’s office. Do not forget to bring the necessary identification mentioned above. This should also include a passport photo, which can be obtained at a number of locations. Any place that develops film will typically offer passport photos.
When you have arrived at an issuing post office or clerk’s office, you will need to present a passport agent with your ID and photo. The agent will examine this documentation and then determine if the passport should be approved. Once they have approved the application you will need to sign it. Your submission is now complete and you just need to wait for your passport to arrive at your home through the postal service.
Applying for a passport may take from six weeks up to six months from the time you apply to the time the passport arrives in your mail. For this reason it is important that you process the application as far ahead of your travel date as possible. If you need to expedite this process it is possible, however, it will cost a small additional fee to have this process rushed.
Should it be necessary, you can speed up the process by contacting your Congressional representative’s office and explain the situation when applying for a USA Passport. They will help you expedite the process in many cases. Once you have your passport, you will not need to renew it for 15 years. At the end of the 15 years you don’t have to go back through applying for a passport. You will find renewing an American passport by mail is simple.