It is required to obtain a passport. However, some have foregone with it. It should be that all adults, and even children, must have a passport when going abroad. If you plan to travel out, then it’s imperative to have a U.S. Passport.
Does the thought of going to Japan, Ireland or New Zealand excite you? Though it’s just a simple dream of stepping in their soils, you can never be sure that those dreams of yours can come true. Even if it will happen seven years from now, at least you’ll have a constant reminder that you can travel out of the country and it’s possible.
However, even in the circumstances that you don’t have plans on traveling outside your country, it is still important to have a passport. If there’s one thing about passports, is that they are the world’s crucial and highest form of identification. It’s also one of the last-resort identification documents that you can have. If there’s an emergency and you need to head out of the country, at least you already have one in your drawer.
So, right now, you are probably asking yourself how much does it cost to get a passport.
Know your passport fees
For first time applicants, adults, those who are 16 years old and above, can pay a total of $135 for a passport book. If broken down, you’ll have to pay the application fee of $110 and the execution fee of $25. For a passport card, a total of $55 will be charged. If you want both, US passport prices can reach $165. Take note that application fees and execution fees are paid separately.
For Adult Renewal Applicants, a passport book of $110 is required, while you can pay for the card at $30. For both products, it’ll cost you $140. Adult renewal applicants residing in the U.S. must apply by mail. Lost or stolen passports for adults will cost you $195.
For children ages 15 years old and below, application fees reach $80 and an execution fee of $25, which brings in a total of $105. The average cost of a US passport card for children is $40. For the two product forms, book and card, US passport prices for children is $120. Renewals for children cost $80, while it’ll cost $165 for lost and stolen passport.
Be sure to input the correct and complete details. Changing or correcting your name in a US passport prices around free to $165. Fee and form for a passport name change vary depending on circumstances.
For applicants ages 16 or older whose passports were issued less than a year ago, there’s no need to pay a fee. Adults, whose passports were issued more than a year ago, need to apply for a renewal and pay the renewal fee. Those who do not have official documentation of a legal name change must apply for a new passport. Children, however, must apply for a new passport and pay the appropriate fee. Correcting a data error will leave you to no cost.
Additional services fees are per application. If you want to expedite your application and your child’s, you must pay an additional $60 for each application. This feature is only available for applicants in the U.S. And in the condition that you want to mail your passport, there is a priority express delivery for $20.66 that’s only offered for passport book applicants in the country.
Under circumstances that you want to request a file search for your and your child’s info, a service of $150 is payable. The file search fee is only used when you are looking to replace an adult passport where the passport holder cannot provide to the State Department proof of citizenship such as a: Old Passport b: Birth Certificate.
The passport processing time for a standard passport service is 4 – 6 weeks and expedited services 3 – 4 weeks.
Here’s what you need to get it done
The process of having or updating a passport is tedious and a bit bureaucratic. To break it down here’s what you need in order to understand what compromises those US passport prices.
Your first passport. Make an appointment at a passport agency and show up in person. Go there with your filled-up application form, evidence of U.S. citizenship, valid identification IDs, a photocopy of the front and back of the identification card, your application fee and passport photos. Average costs of a US passport ranges from $105 to $135, from children to adults respectively.
Renewing a passport. If you have your old passport, you can apply through the mail as long as your passport you are holding is undamaged, and was issued when you were at least 16 years old. Your old passport must come with the required documents like renewal forms, renewal fees, and current photos and you’ll receive a new one in the mail around four to six weeks.
If you’ve changed your name since your last passport was issued, include an original certificate or court order lest you’ll end up applying for a renewal in person.
Lost or stolen passports. If your previous passport was lost or stolen, you’ll have to apply for a new one and you have to head to the agency in person. You’ll need to fill up two forms, though, the application form and the one that tells you to testify on what happened. Pay like you’re paying for a new passport.
If you’ve lost your passport or have been stolen abroad, get in touch with the closest U.S. embassy to get a new passport in order to return home.
Expediting a passport. Are you in a hurry, buddy? You can get your passport expedited in roughly two to three weeks once you pay an extra $60 plus $12.85 for overnight delivery in addition to the standard processing fees.
Changing your name on your passport. There’s no fee for changing the name on your passport if your passport was issued less than a year ago. If the book’s more than a year old, though, you must pay standard renewal fees.
So, how much does it cost to get a passport than regret for not having one?