Get an Express Passport to See Paris in the Spring - Expedited Passports

If you’ve ever wanted to visit Paris, why not go this spring? Yes, the whole “Paris in the springtime” thing is a bit of a cliche, but it really is one of the nicest seasons to visit.  The weather is mild, not hot like it gets in the summer, and it’s also less crowded. Even better, you’re more likely to be able to find a good price on a hotel room if you go now than you would in the summer.

There are also lots of special events going on in Paris in the spring. For example, the Foire du Trône, which runs from late March to late April, is a fair packed with roller coasters, games and other fun activities for kids or the young at heart. Foire de Paris runs from late April to May and is a decidedly more grown-up affair, with opportunities for visitors to sample a variety of wines and regional delicacies.

If you are in Paris during the middle of May, you can visit many of the city’s famous museums at night for free when the city celebrates “Museum Night.”  And right now, Smarter Travel reports that Air France is having a sale, with flights from Houston  to Paris for $710 round trip and flights from New York to Nice (well worth a visit in and of itself)  for $676.

Of course, you will need a passport to travel to France. If you don’t already have one, you’ll need to get an express passport. Even the government’s expedited service typically takes about 3 weeks, but with proof of travel you can can get an express passport much more quickly. The easiest way is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com.

We’ll provide you with detailed instructions that make filling out the application and gathering the necessary documents a breeze.  Then, we personally deliver your paperwork to the Department of State for super-fast processing, often in as little as 24 hours! And, there’s no need to make an appointment or take time off work to drive to  a passport agency office.

Ready to fly ? Apply for your express passport today!

When I was kid, I loved animals, so much that I managed to bug my parents into getting me that “Illustrated Wildlife Treasury” set that they used to advertise on TV.  The set basically had a bunch of different cards with pictures of animals and facts about them.  One of my favorite groups of animals in the set were the lemurs.

Lemurs are a type of primate that lives only on the African island of Madagascar. They are more primitive than monkey and apes, and their faces are often more cat-like, with enormous eyes that help them see in the dark.  Madagascar is the world’s 4th largest island, and its relative isolation has made it a hotbed of biodiversity: approximately 5% of the world’s plant and animals species are found here.

However, Madagascar’s unique environment is under threat: an entire third of the island’s native vegetation has disappeared since the 1970’s, and that’s bad news for those adorable bug-eyed lemurs.  In fact, most lemur species are now endangered.

However, you can get a passport and help protect both Madagascar’s rich environment and its people, two thirds of whom live below the international poverty line. UK-based charity Azafady offers a program called “Lemur Venture,” which Lemur Venture gives volunteers the chance to “work on an extensive range of projects from the collection of data on endangered lemur species to environmental education with local communities and tree-planting for reforestation purposes.”

To participate, you need to be willing to work and in good physical shape.  You’ll also need to do some fundraising: the US  equivalent of £1,600 for 4 weeks or £2,200 for 8 weeks.

And, of course, you’ll also need to get a passport if you don’t already have one, or renew your passport if yours has expired.  Remember to allow enough time for your passport to arrive-it generally takes 6 weeks for regular service and 3 weeks for the government’s expedited service.

If you need a passport more quickly,  the most convenient way is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com. An expediting company will personally deliver your application to the Department of State, reducing the amount of time it takes to get a passport to as little as 24 hours!

Get a passport with us today!

Birth certificates don’t usually come with an expiration date, but if you born in Puerto Rico, yours does: July 1st, 2010. After that date, all Puerto Rican birth certificates will be invalidated, per a law passed in Puerto Rico in January.

The law was passed to address the fact that criminals have made a practice of stealing Puerto Rican birth certificates and selling them on the black market.  In Puerto Rico, it used to be quite common to submit a copy of your birth certificate for purposes like school enrollment.

For example, Luis Balzac, regional director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration in Manhattan, told NorthJersey.com that:

“In Puerto Rico, it’s common to give a certified birth certificate when you enroll your child in school, when your child joins a sports league, when they register for summer camp. You leave certified copies of your birth certificate all over the place, there are too many floating around in the street, and they end up in the black market.”

The Department of Homeland Security has stated that 40% of all cases of passport fraud involved stolen Puerto Rican birth certificates.

According to the New York Daily News,  California, Ohio and Nevada have announced a moratorium on accepting Puerto Rican birth certificates for identification, until after the new certificates are issued in July.  Before July 1st, you can try to apply for a new passport with your Puerto Rican birth certificate, BUT due to high number of fraud cases you may be asked to present secondary evidence of US citizenship.  To see examples of secondary evidence, check out the Department of State’s web site.

So, what happens after July1st? If you were born in Puerto Rico, you will need to apply for a new birth certificate. The fee is only $5.00, but the government of Puerto Rico isn’t accepting any applications before then.  So, you should probably expect  a bit of a wait to get your new, official birth certificate issued.  If you don’t immediately need a copy of your birth certificate to get a new passport or a driver’s license, the  Puerto Rican government is asking that you wait to apply so that the people with the greatest need can get their birth certificates first.

If you already have a US passport, there’s no reason to be concerned about the new requirements-as long as you still have your old passport, you can apply for a new passport by mail using the old one as proof of citizenship.

If you need a new passport, you will need a valid birth certificate. Once you have your birth certificate, RushMyPassport can submit your application directly to the Department of State for fast processing-often in as little as 24 hours.  Submitting your application through an expediting company can also help you find out more quickly if the government is going to ask for additional information from you, so you can get the issue addressed in enough time to go on your trip.

Apply for your new passport today!

Thinking of Tuscany, it’s easy to get lost in a daydream of bright sunshine, fields of sunflowers, excellent wine and adorable quaint villages. However, if you visit Italy during the summer “high season,”  the reality is often quite different. Those adorable quaint village squares? Packed with tourists.  Museums and monuments? Packed with tourists. Local vineyards? Packed with tourists.

In today’s New York Times,  Danielle Pergament writes that a guest at her wedding, which took place in Tuscany in the summer, described the region as “beautiful, hot and full of Americans.” This is an apt description of high tourist season in Italy.  You’ll still enjoy yourself, but you won’t leave feeling like you’ve experienced the best that Tuscany has to offer.

To avoid the crowds, your best bet is to get a fast passport and leave now, before the tourist season kicks into gear. As a bonus, the New York Times article notes that Tuscany actually gets more colorful in the winter-instead of the parched gold of summer, the fields turn a vibrant green.  You’ll also enjoy better food, as most of the local delicacies are actually in season in winter and early spring, and cheaper prices for just about everything.

To visit Tuscany, you of course need a valid US passport.  You’d better get a fast passport, too-Italy’s low season ends this month, so you need to leave ASAP if you want to take advantage of low prices and experience fewer crowds.

Normally, it takes at least 6 weeks to get a passport. If you apply for a fast passport using the government’s expedited service, you can expect to wait at least 3 weeks. If you want to leave the country sooner than that, the easiest and most convenient option is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com. With an expediting company, you can get fast passport processing, in as little as 24 hours, without having to make an appointment or drive out of your way to get to a regional passport agency office.

Don’t wait-apply for a fast passport today!

Your US passport is one of your most valuable possessions, and you are probably very careful with it. However, no matter how careful we try to be, accidents happen. When it comes to passports, the most common causes of accidental damage are pets, toddlers, washing machines and for frequent travelers, normal wear and tear.

Whether your dog chewed it or you accidentally sent it through the spin cycle, you should never try to travel with a damaged passport. Any damage to the passport book makes airport authorities and border officials start thinking about potential fraud, and there is a very real possibility that you will not be allowed to travel.

To replace a damaged US passport, treat it just like you would a lost or stolen passport. Fill out Form DS-64, Statement Regarding a Lost or Stolen Passport, and describe how it was damaged.  Then, you can either send your old passport in to be canceled and leave it at that or you can go ahead and apply for a new passport in person at a passport acceptance facility (see How To Apply for a New Passport for details.)

If you currently have a damaged passport, however, there’s a good reason to apply for a replacement now-the Department of State is planning to raise passport fees later this year.

Expect it to take at least 6 weeks to replace your damaged passport if you request regular processing, and at least  weeks if you request the government’s expedited processing.  If you need a passport sooner than that, the easiest way to get one is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com.  We’ll walk you through the paperwork to help you avoid common mistakes that could cause delays, then personally walk your US passport application directly to the Department of State for super-fast processing-often as quick as 24 hours!

Apply for your US passport today!

The Department of State just announced that it will celebrating “Passport Day in the USA” later on this month, providing citizens with an opportunity to submit their passport applications during special Saturday hours  at regional passport agency offices and passport acceptance facilities around the country.

This is the second year in a row that the Department of State has celebrated Passport Day. In addition to being open on a Saturday, for this one day you won’t have to make an appointment in advance to apply for a passport at one of the regional passport agencies. You also won’t have to pay a $60 expedite fee or bring a copy of your itinerary showing that you plan to leave the country in 14 days. There are 23 regional passport agencies scattered throughout the country. They will be open from 10:00 am to 3:00pm.

If you don’t have a regional passport agency office nearby and you need to get a passport, check with your local passport acceptance facility to see what hours they will be open on that Saturday. Passport acceptance facilities are often located inside post offices, libraries or county clerks’ offices-you can find the one that’s closest to you here.

In a statement on the Department of State’s website, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Passport Services Brenda S. Sprague commented on the event:

“Passport Day in the USA is a great opportunity for Americans to apply for their passports. Since it is on a Saturday, people can drop by a passport agency or their nearest passport acceptance facility and still have plenty of time to enjoy their weekend.”

Passport Day in the USA is a great opportunity if you don’t have imminent travel plans and just want to get a passport without having to take time off work. However, it is not for people with urgent travel plans.

The only expedited service available at this event costs $60 and will get you your passport in around 2 weeks or longer as opposed to 6 weeks or longer. If you need your passport sooner than that, you still have to make an appointment at the nearest regional passport agency (an acceptance facility can’t help you)  during normal business hours and bring proof of travel.

If you need to get a passport in a hurry and either can’t make it to a regional passport agency office or just don’t want to take the time, a private expediting company like RushMyPassport.com can help.

Rather than you having to take off work and drive to an agency office that could be hours away, you would simply submit your application to the expediting company and the expediting company will deliver it to the Department of State for you. We offer processing times as low as 24 hours and a level of personal attention and service you won’t find anywhere else.

Ready to get a passport? Apply for one today!

The debate over the State Department’s proposed fee hike for passport services continues, with lawmakers and State Department officials arguing back and forth about whether the new fees are justified, especially given the current state of the economy.

The LA Times notes that if the increases happen, the passport application fee will be more than double what it was in 2002.  New York Representative Chris Lee notes that the increase may not seem like that much for an individual to pay,  but would have a big impact on families, with a family of four paying around $500 just to apply for passports. The LA Times also interviewed Representative Brian Higgins, who did not mince words-he called the increase flat-out “immoral.”

In the articleBrenda Sprague, deputy assistant secretary of State for passport affairs, claims that the price hike is justified:

“We have a strong, defensible position for increasing the fees.” Costs have been rising, she said, as high-tech features make passports more expensive to produce and the department adds facilities to meet growing demand. By 2011, she said, the department expects to be operating 28 passport facilities, up from 13 just five years ago.

Other factors that were taken into account were the costs of providing services to US passport holders, including extending a helping hand to Americans who get in a jam overseas.

What do you think? Considering the services that the State Department provides passport holders, is it worth it to charge extra passport fees and to start adding charges for passport services that used to be free, like adding visa pages?

Whatever your opinion is, let us know in the comments and then go tell the US Department of State before the comment period is up on March 11th.

After the comment period ends, the new prices will probably be in place within weeks. We’ll keep an eye on the story and provide updates as it develops, but in the meantime, if you don’t want to pay the extra fees, you’d probably best go ahead and apply for passport services now.

It may still be cold and gloomy outside in many parts of the country, but make no mistake: spring is coming! That means it’s time to start planning for Spring Break.  And if your Spring Break plans are taking you outside of the country, you may need to get a passport.

To help you with your travel plans, here are the passport requirements for some of the more popular spring break travel destinations:

Mexico

Warm blue water,  gorgeous beaches and margaritas galore-what more could you want in a spring break destination? You probably need to get a passport before you can go party in Cancun, though.  For more details, see:

Do You Need a Passport to Go to Mexico?

US Citizens Visiting Mexico Face New Passport Requirements

Canada

If you prefer skiing and other winter sports to lazing around on the beach, Canada has some excellent ski resorts.  Most trips to Canada will require a passport.  For details of Canada’s passport requirements, see Do You Need a Passport to Go to Canada?

Europe

If you have the funds, springtime is one of the best times to visit Europe. The weather is nice, and because “high season” for travel to most European destinations is in the summer, visiting Europe in the spring means you get lower prices and fewer crowds.

Travel to Europe always and without exception requires a US passport.

The Caribbean

The Caribbean is another great place to go for a laid-back vacation filled with sun and sand.  However, most Caribbean travelers will need to get a passport before they leave.  For details, see:

Do You Need a Passport to Go to the Caribbean?

Cruises

A spring break cruise allows you to easily visit many different destinations for a great price.  Passport requirements for cruises depend on where you go. For more details, see:

Do You Need a Passport to Go On a Cruise?

If you need to get a passport for Spring Break, you’d better hurry-you don’t have much time. Regular passport processing can take at least 6 weeks. The government’s expedited processing option takes 2 to 3 weeks and costs an additional $60 plus overnight delivery fees.

If you need to get  a passport sooner than that, the most convenient way  is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com.  An expediting company will deliver your documents to directly to the Department of State, for processing times as low as 24 hours.

Get a passport today!

If you think it’s expensive to get a passport now, just wait…earlier this month, the Department of State filed a proposal in the Federal Register to significantly increase passport fees to help pay for the services it provides. If you don’t want to pay the increased costs, you’d better apply for a passport, quick!

Here are the proposed changes, according to the LA Times:

Currently, it costs an adult $100 to apply for a new passport and $75 to renew a passport by mail. For a child under the age of 16, it costs $85. Under the Department of State’s proposal, a new adult passport would cost $135, while an adult passport renewal would cost $110. A child passport would cost $105.

Even more striking, the Department of State plans to begin charging to add visa pages to the back of passports. Currently, this service is performed free of charge, but under the proposal it would cost a whopping $82!

The new fee structure is not set in stone yet, but according to the LA Times the Department of State plans to move as fast as possible to begin charging the fees after the 3o-day public comment period is over.

Lawmakers in border states, like New York, are protesting the proposed increase because they depend heavily on tourism.  For example, WMBW.com quotes New York Congressman Chris Lee:

“These costs are too high. It’s going to further dampen our ability to increase traffic across our border. In just the past year alone, the tour bus traffic is down by more than 10 percent because the government imposed their new restrictions on the border that requires a passport.”

Concerned about passport cost increases?  The proposal is open for public comment until March 8th or 9th. You can put your two cents in here.

If you need to renew your passport, get a new one or just add some pages to the back, it seems like a good idea to apply for your new passport quick, before the price goes up. If you can get your passport before the increase goes into effect, it will be good for 10 years.

RushMyPassport can help you through the application process, providing easy to follow instructions that make the process go more smoothly and help you avoid common mistakes that can delay your application. And if you need your passport in a hurry, we offer processing times as low as 24 hours.

Don’t wait-Apply for your passport, quick, today!

Cruises have become an increasingly popular way to travel.  In fact, per Wikipedia, the American cruise industry has added nine cruise ships each year since 2001. In 2010, over $18 million American passengers are expected to spend $27 billion on cruising.

One reason that cruises are so popular is that booking a cruise can seem much less daunting than planning a similar vacation on your own.  However, you do need make sure that you have all the necessary travel documents for your cruise, or you may find yourself watching forlornly as your ship leaves port without you.

Do you need a passport to go on a cruise? That depends on where you are going.  If your boat only stops at US ports, then no passport is necessary.  If you are cruising outside of the Western Hemisphere, you definitely need a passport.

However, if you are cruising from the US to Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean, the rules are a little more complicated.

The final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which became law on June 1, 2009, requires American citizens traveling to Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean by land or by sea to present one of the following documents to re-enter the country:

• A US passport book
• A US passport card (Note: Unlike the US passport book, the US passport card is not valid for air travel)
• A NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST card
• An enhanced driver’s license (only available in certain states)

However, there are a few exceptions to the passport requirement for cruises in the Western Hemisphere:

• US citizens on a closed-loop cruise, one that begins and ends at the same US port, can use a driver’s license or government-issued ID card and a birth certificate, certificate of naturalization or certificate of citizenship.
• Children under the age of 16 traveling by land or sea can use their birth certificates, as can children under the age of 19 if they are under adult supervision and are traveling with an organization such as a school group, church group, volunteer organization or sports team. Read the rest of this entry »