We all know as a basic fact that in order for you to travel around the world without experiencing any kind of problems, you must have your own passport. To those who didn’t know, a passport is a document that proves your citizenship with a certain country whenever you are travelling to a different territory. Needless to say, another country will just allow you to enter their territory once you have this one.
How to Avail a U.S. Government-issued Passport
In the U.S., there are at least four different kinds of passports that are issued by the government, two of which can be availed by their citizens, minors and adults alike. These two documents, namely the regular passport and the passport card, can be availed at a passport acceptance facility. These facilities are located in almost all major locations in the U.S. so it will be much convenient for you.
Availing Passports
If you’re going to avail a passport for the first time, there’s a need for you to have a personal appearance in order to confirm your real identity. Along with your personal appearance to the nearest passport acceptance facility, you must do the following things:
- Fill-up the Passport Application Form. More commonly known as Form DS-11, you can download this document from the U.S. State Department’s Website and you can do the filling-up inside your home once you printed this document. This will also spare you from the hassle of getting the form and filling it up inside the office.
- Bring the required documentations for passport application. Before you go to the nearest passport acceptance facility, you must make sure that you have the necessary documents prepared. These requirements include your sealed Birth Certificate, Official Photo IDs such as a Military ID or Driver’s License and two Passport size Photos.
- Pay the required necessary passport processing fee. Since you’re applying for a Government-issued document, it’s only natural for you to pay the required fee for the passport processing. As of the time of this writing, the passport application fee is $110 for adults and $80 for those ages 16 years old and under. Be informed also that there’s an additional $25 charge per person as payment for execution fees.
Passport Cards
A passport card is made for those who don’t want to travel far away from the U.S. The requirements for the passport card are the same with passports, though the application fees are considerably lower. You only need to pay $30 if you’re an adult and $15 if you’re a minor.