What do I need to do to get a passport??

[RU482]

I'm an natural citizen, and I need to get a passport. What forms of ID do I need? I'm assuming I just go to the post office to get it.

 

[Sealy]

Well I'm from Canada, so it's probably a different process, but I was able to find all the forms I needed on-line. I just did a search for obtaining a passport, found the site I needed and printed the forms right off the site! I certainly have a lot of forms to fill out, and here in Canada anyway we have to GIVE them photo I.D. and birth certificate until the passports are processed. No copies or notorized copies allowed. Hope this helps!

 

[John]

Yes, everything you need is at the local US post office, but you need a birth certificate. They take a pic and you fill out a few forms, then wait for several weeks to get it. I had to get mine earlier this year when I went to the Caribbean.

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: redly1
I'm an natural citizen, and I need to get a passport. What forms of ID do I need? I'm assuming I just go to the post office to get it.

You can either get them in person at the Post Office or download them from here

BTW, they just raised the rates of passports from $60 to $85.

 

[Sluggo]

Originally posted by: Sealy
Well I'm from Canada, so it's probably a different process, but I was able to find all the forms I needed on-line. I just did a search for obtaining a passport, found the site I needed and printed the forms right off the site! I certainly have a lot of forms to fill out, and here in Canada anyway we have to GIVE them photo I.D. and birth certificate until the passports are processed. No copies or notorized copies allowed. Hope this helps!

Thats about right for the states as well. forms are here Dont sign the form, you have to sign it in front of the postal clerk.

 

[tokamak]

i think you just need a valid ID (like a drivers liscence). you have to fill out some paperwork and stuff. pretty simple, but it takes a while for them to send it to you (6 weeks i think), so i hope youre not planning on leaving tomorrow or something....

<edit> oh yeah, the other posters just jogged my memory. you have to show a birth certificate, and you have to give them the picture, too. you can go to the local drug store (eckerds, walgreens, whatever you got in your area) and get passport photos. they are like $10 max. </edit>

 

[Colt45]

last time i got one, I went to the "big building downtown", and gave them a little B&W picture of me, showed some ID and gave them $5. had to wait a week or more though, IIRC.

 

[NetGuySC]

Not just any bw pic will do..... form from Post Office or from online will explain alll.

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: Colt45
last time i got one, I went to the "big building downtown", and gave them a little B&W picture of me, showed some ID and gave them $5. had to wait a week or more though, IIRC.

$5?!? Either you got the black market edition, or this was the year 1924.

 

[Colt45]

yeah, come to think of it, it might have been $25.. or $50 (cdn)

damn memory is failing on me.

 

[bozo1]

They also will take your birth certificate from you and return it with your passport. It generally takes 4-6 weeks but if you tell them you are planning to travel in say 3 weeks, they do try to meet that deadline.

Check before you go - many places require you to bring in two passport format pictures as they don't take pictures there. Usually any photo processing place can take them for you for about $10.

 

[cnwk64]

Originally posted by: redly1
I'm an natural citizen, and I need to get a passport. What forms of ID do I need? I'm assuming I just go to the post office to get it.

One important question, what country are you talking about?
go to google and do a search, I am sure that are many info than you can ever ask for.

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: cnwk64

Originally posted by: redly1
I'm an natural citizen, and I need to get a passport. What forms of ID do I need? I'm assuming I just go to the post office to get it.

One important question, what country are you talking about?
go to google and do a search, I am sure that are many info than you can ever ask for.

Well his profile says Indiana, so im gonna guess the US.

 

[Freejack2]

www.msn.com
J/K
If I recall correctly most if even any post offices don't have the capability to take your picture. You'll need to go some place that does passport photos.

 

[hoihtah]

you can get a passport from other small countries without much hassle.
all you gotta do is fill out some app... online.
and they'll send it to you.

 

[RossMAN]

Sluggo is correct, go to the US Government's Passport website to find out which forms of ID you need and to download some applications. My sister and I had to get our passports last year since we were travelling to Australia and we were in a 2 week time crunch (no thanks to my procrastinating). So we paid an expedite fee (I think around $80 per person could be lower or higher) and got our passports within 10 calendar days, very nice we barely made it.

 

[geoff2k]

Kinko's and just about any chain photo shop can take proper passport photos.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: geoff2k
Kinko's and just about any chain photo shop can take proper passport photos.

We got our official passport photo's taken at a travel agency, takes about 5 minutes and only cost us $10 a person.

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
Sluggo is correct, go to the US Government's Passport website to find out which forms of ID you need and to download some applications. My sister and I had to get our passports last year since we were travelling to Australia and we were in a 2 week time crunch (no thanks to my procrastinating). So we paid an expedite fee (I think around $80 per person could be lower or higher) and got our passports within 10 calendar days, very nice we barely made it.

Unfortunately the prices just (and i do mean just, i.e. Last Friday) skyrocketed.

The new prices are:

$85 for the passport
$145 if you want to have it expedited

LINK

 

[LuNoTiCK]

Ouch the new passport prices are high. Expediting is still not even fast, still takes a couple weeks. But you need your birth certificate, 1 or 2 valid forms of ID, and passport pictures. I had to get my pictures, because they don't take them, and I don't think the post office takes them for you. You also need lots of money, they don't take cash, so you need like a money order or a check.

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: LuNoTiCK
Ouch the new passport prices are high. Expediting is still not even fast, still takes a couple weeks. But you need your birth certificate, 1 or 2 valid forms of ID, and passport pictures. I had to get my pictures, because they don't take them, and I don't think the post office takes them for you. You also need lots of money, they don't take cash, so you need like a money order or a check.

When i got mine this spring, i paid for regular service (not expedited) and had it back to me in 4 business days. Dunno how the HELL they did it so fast, but i was pleasently surprized.