Passports and visas
PURCHASING A NEW PASSPORT
Americans are required to have a passport when entering most foreign countries, and it is the preferred proof of citizenship when visiting Mexico and many Caribbean islands.
Here’s what the U.S. State Department says you need to do to get one:
Application forms:
Available on the Web at travel.state.gov/passport_services.html. You will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print the forms.
Required documents: Proof of U.S. citizenship (certified copy of birth certificate, or certificate of naturalization); proof of identity (driver’s license, military I.D.); two identical photographs (2-by-2-inches, taken within the last six months, full frontal face view, black-and-white or color); Social Security number.
Fees: $60 for 10-year passport (ages 16 and older); $40 for five-year passport (ages younger than 16); payable by check or money order to Passport Services.
Make an appearance: You can fill out the paperwork at home, but you must apply in person (and bring all the above with you). In most cases, a parent or legal guardian may appear and apply on behalf of children under age 13.
Emergencies: If you are leaving on a trip within five working days, you must apply in person at the nearest passport agency and, in addition to providing all of the above documentation and fees, you’ll need to present your airline tickets and an additional $35 expedite fee.
RENEWING A PASSPORT
Renewing your passport can seem more complicated that getting one the first time around. But, really, here’s all the U.S. State Department requires:
Your old passport: Must be in good condition -- no alterations, mutilations or other damage -- and must have been issued within the past 12 years.
Your age: You must have been 16 or older when your last passport was issued.
Your name: Must be the same as it appears in your old passport. Or, if your name has changed, you need a certified copy of the marriage certificate, divorce decree, adoption papers or court order that says so.
Your picture: Two identical passport photographs, 2-by-2-inches, taken within the last six months, full frontal face view, black-and-white or color.
Your money: Renewal fee is $40, with check or money order payable to Passport Services.
Your paperwork: Get the Form DSP-82, “Application for Passport by Mail” at the same location you would use for a new passport. (See above.)
Mail it off: Take your old passport, the new photographs, any name-change documentation, the completed application form and the fee. Put them in a nice, padded envelope and mail them to: National Passport Center, P.O. Box 371971, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7971.
OBTAINING A VISA
Most countries that are popular travel destinations for Americans do not require entry visas.
Travel agents and tour operators will have information about visa requirements for trips they are booking. They also may obtain the necessary visas, for a fee. These fees are in the $30 to $50 range
Travelers also can get visas from embassies or consulates (listed on the State Department Web site), or from local companies that specialize in this service. (See the telephone directory Yellow Pages under “Passport Services.”)
The State Department maintains a list of country visa requirements on its Web site at www.travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html.
Maureen Murphy, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer, also contributed to this report
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