Question about Passports

[BigBlue75]

I've never really had the need for a passport before, but that might be changing in the foreseeable future. I do know that there's an application and fee involved, and a few weeks waiting time.
My question is once I have one, does it have to be renewed every year or is it only necessary to make necessary changes as need be?

Thanks in advance for any info.

[edit note: Just for the record, I do know how to spell "fee". LOL! ]

[MSU Cat]

I just got my passport a few weeks ago. I'm going on a cruise with my bride to be for our honeymoon. I believe the passport has to be renewed something like once every seven or ten years or something like that. Just get the application, fill it out, and go down to the post office and they'll process it for you. In 4 - 6 weeks you should get your passport in the mail.

[UKSam]

Passports have to be renewed every ten years. We just got new passports about a month ago. To save some money go to a CVS, Walgreens or someplace else that takes passport photos. It will cost you about 8 bucks which is much cheaper than the post office. Once you have the pictures take those with your license and a original copy of your birth certificate. They will process everything and will mail your passport and birth certificate back to you in about 6-8 weeks. I forgot the exact cost but it was about 100 dollars.

[gerntz]

Renewals are about half as much.

[Ralph Cramden]

I know they can take a long time to process so better to jump on it asap. I had to get one for a trip to Paris.

[surveyor]

My in-laws had to get one for their trip to Hawaii (via Vancouver). They received them in about 3.5 months.

[Jeff Craddock]

My in-laws had to get one for their trip to Hawaii (via Vancouver). They received them in about 3.5 months.

Because they changed planes in Canada? Wow.

I recently renewed mine. I ordered "expedited" service--for almost twice the fee--and had mine in about five weeks. I believe I payed about $125. I was planning a trip to Asia at the time, but that's been postponed for a few months.

Here's a link to the State Department passport page. (http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html) This has about all the info you might need.

[tauzreborn]

If you needed it soon, you can get it expedited for additional $$$. I got mine in three days for nearly $300.

I think you could get it in six days for nearly $200.

[Dr. H Lecter]

Renewal....Unless you are an infant or child. Then its like 4 years or so.

[Dr. H Lecter]

If you needed it soon, you can get it expedited for additional $$$. I got mine in three days for nearly $300.

I think you could get it in six days for nearly $200.


Friends of mine were getting ready to get on a flight to Mexico and did not have their passports. They got in the car and had to drive up to Chicago. They stood in lines up there for HOURS. All day in fact. They spent like $75 across the street from the govt building in Chicago to get their passport photos.

They rushed back to Louisville to catch another flight...which got cancelled. It cost them about $1000.

[surveyor]

Because they changed planes in Canada? Wow.

I thought the same thing.

[Rockober]

It took me less than 4 weeks to get a passport. I just received it several weeks ago.

[Brian McCat]

Last May when we were about to embark on our immigration, we noticed that my wife´s passport would expire next year. So we thought, no problem, we put in the application then, thinking that it would be 4-6 weeks.

Weeks passed, and nothing. Several calls, but nobody knew anything. Turns out there was a huge backlog this summer, up to 12 weeks.

On July 30, 2 days before we immigrated, it still wasn´t here. So on a joke, I told my wife to call the White House. She looked up the number and called. They quickly deflected her to someone in the State department who profusely apologized (after getting an earful), and GUARANTEED that it would be there the next morning by FedEx. At 11:58 AM on July 31, it arrived on our doorstep. Your government in action!

[jkeller]

Last May when we were about to embark on our immigration, we noticed that my wife´s passport would expire next year. So we thought, no problem, we put in the application then, thinking that it would be 4-6 weeks.

Weeks passed, and nothing. Several calls, but nobody knew anything. Turns out there was a huge backlog this summer, up to 12 weeks.

On July 30, 2 days before we immigrated, it still wasn´t here. So on a joke, I told my wife to call the White House. She looked up the number and called. They quickly deflected her to someone in the State department who profusely apologized (after getting an earful), and GUARANTEED that it would be there the next morning by FedEx. At 11:58 AM on July 31, it arrived on our doorstep. Your government in action!

They were backed up so much earlier this year because of the rules changing about Canada and Mexico. I think you used to not need a passport to go to Canada or Mexico and now you have to. I could see this being a huge problem, especially for people in border states.

My aunt and uncle were planning on taking a cruise this summer and needed passports but they didn't come in time and they had to postpone their trip.

Thankfully, I had applied for my passport in early January and I had it within two months.

[UKcat]

We decided to go on a cruise in April; I applied for our passports the following week; we got them the middle of July; we are setting sail Sunday morning for warmer climate.............Merry Christmas to me:icon_mrgreen: