{"id":31751,"date":"2013-02-14T05:44:15","date_gmt":"2013-02-14T09:44:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/2013\/02\/14\/how-do-i-get-a-u-s-passport\/"},"modified":"2014-10-16T16:16:03","modified_gmt":"2014-10-16T20:16:03","slug":"how-do-i-get-a-u-s-passport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/2013\/02\/14\/how-do-i-get-a-u-s-passport\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do I Get a U.S. Passport?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If traveling is on your bucket list, then you are definitely going to need a passport. Passports are required when traveling outside of the United States. It can take awhile to get your passport, sometimes up to 6 weeks, so it is best to plan ahead and get your passport in advance to save on expedite fees<\/a>. You are required to apply in person if it’s your first passport or if you fall under some other exceptions<\/a>. If you are simply renewing your passport, you can do it by mail if you meet certain requirements<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What will I need to have when getting my passport?<\/strong><\/p>\n

You will need:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Filled out DS-11 Form<\/a> (Do not sign until presented to the agent. SSN must be on the form.)<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Evidence of US Citizenship: Previously issued US passport, a certified birth certificate, consular report of birth abroad, naturalization certificate or certificate of citizenship.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ID: Previously issued US passport, naturalization certificate, valid driver’s license, current government ID, or current military ID.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Photocopies of Evidence of US Citizenship and ID.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 One passport photo (You can get them at a US Post Office, Walgreens, Wal Mart, CVS or other locations for approximately $10-$15).<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A method of payment for the fees.<\/p>\n

Can I get a passport in less than two weeks?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes. If your cruise is going outside the US in less than two weeks and you’ve just realized you don’t have a valid passport, the Bureau of Consular Affairs will allow you to schedule an appointment at a Regional Passport Agency<\/a> in the US. Bring proof that your cruise leaves in less than 14 days, such as the actual cruise or plane tickets. An itinerary will not be enough.<\/p>\n

You can schedule a time to bring all your documents by calling 1-877-487-2778 which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Although bypassing all lines at the office is certainly convenient, just know that convenience has a price. You will have to pay a quick turn around Expedite Fee.<\/p>\n

What should I do if I am leaving in more than 14 days?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Routine processing<\/a> time is approximately 4-6 weeks. Expedited service is about 2-3 weeks. Once you’ve filled out all the necessary paperwork like the DS-11<\/a> and have acceptable forms of identification in order, such as your birth certificate, then you can go to a local Passport Application Acceptance Facility and present your application, proof of US citizenship and pay the fees. To locate one near you, log onto http:\/\/iafdb.travel.state.gov\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Just need to renew your passport? You can do it by mail if you meet the requirements. For more information go to http:\/\/travel.state.gov\/passport\/renew\/renew_833.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Want more information?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let our knowledgeable travel agents here at CruiseExperts.com help you. They can answer any questions you may have including how and where to obtain your passport. Call us at 1-888-804-CRUISE (2784) or visit our website, www.CruiseExperts.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If traveling is on your bucket list, then you are definitely going to need a passport.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31752,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,36,30,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-did-you-know","category-general","category-informative","category-tips-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31751"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31751\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}