Renew my passport

I had to renew my passport this week. It’s one of those tasks that demand time and energy and are easily put off. But don’t!

If your children have passports,  check them for expiration. If it was first issued at 16 years or under, passports are issued for only 5 years instead of 10.  You don’t want to be surprised the week of your trip that your child’s passport has expired!

Throughout the process of renewing my kids’ passports, I was reminded of tips to make it go smoothly:

1) Remember your check book and ID. There is an $80 fee for each passport renewed and the Dept of State doesn’t take credit cards. If you need it expedited, it will be another $60 per passport – that adds up to a lot of money for a family so allow yourself at least 8 weeks before your trip.  I was told we would get our new passports within 4 weeks since it is a slower time for passport processing.

2) Check your local libraries for passport processing. Post offices are always busy, and the larger the institution, the more misinformation and confusion. Plus -  some libraries process passports on Saturdays.

3) Call to find out the hours for the passport office lunch break. Really. These government workers are serious about their lunch hour. It is often posted, but call ahead and make sure the person in charge of passport processing knows you are coming so you coordinate with their hungry stomachs.

4) This past  April the U.S. Department of State began requiring the full names of the applicant’s parent(s) to be listed on all certified birth certificates to be considered as primary evidence of U.S. citizenship.

5) Make sure both parents are with present, or one has had a notarized letter… If one parent is deceased, the remaining parent has to bring proof.

6) Minors under age 16 must apply in person – they can’t renew by mail.

And while you are at it… you may want to check your own passport if you are planning a trip. Some countries require that your passport is valid up to six months past exit date… Asia…and even in Europe there are places that require three months validity past exit date. Travelers have been turned away because of insufficient passport updating and you don’t want to be one of them.

If yours has expired, this is a good time.   travel.state.gov/passport/

I hope you get to use it to visit exciting places , in good health and happiness,  in 2012!