Beneficial Facts For The First Time Passport Applicant
If you want to travel to countries other than the one you were born in, you must have papers with you that prove you are a citizen of your birth country. Border crossings require this and you must provide the proper identification in order to be allowed passage. It is easy for first time U.S. passport applicants to get what they need and here is some helpful information to guide you.
The U.S. passport office forms that you will have to fill out can be obtained from the internet. When you go to the passport agent, you must bring it with you. You have to fill it out completely but do not sign it before you get to the agent. This you will do once you submit it in person.
You must provide a few items of identification that show that you are a legal citizen of the country you were born in. Most times, a certified birth certificate is required. If you do not have access to that, you will have to check with the office to see what else can be used. Generally, proof of citizenship must be presented.
A piece of valid photo identification is required as well. Usually, a driver license is sufficient but be sure you double check in order to have exactly what will be accepted. Other examples of photo ID would be an old passport, school identification or a voter registration card.
Once you have gathered all of the required identification, you must then get your passport photo taken. Most camera shops and portrait studios offer this service for a nominal fee. There are strict rules as to how these photos must be taken. The pictures can not be older than six months and they have to represent what you look like right now. You can wear street clothes but you can not wear hats or sunglasses. If you wear glasses, you should wear them for the photo.
This type of photo calls for it to be in color. Not one but two identical shots have to be submitted. The guidelines for the size and dimensions will likely be with the photographer, as they do these things often. You should look right into the camera with no smile and no extra posing. The background of these photos will be some variation of white.
When all the information you need is gathered, you will now bring it to a passport agency office. The price you will have to pay will depend on how quickly you need it to come back to you. If you do need it fast, it will end up being more expensive. You will also have to go to a different office in order to get it expedited.
first time pass port applications are not hard to fill out. They are self explanatory and should pose no difficulties. There is a bit of information gathering on your part, but that part should be fairly simple. If you need help, there are several websites online that you can use as a reference point. You can also download the required passport office applications from these sites as well. Additionally, the applications are easily attainable from a processing center or even your local post office.