Expedited Passports

Do you do a lot of international traveling? Sure,  your passport is valid for 10 years, but even travelers with a valid passport can run into problems if they run out of pages in their US passport books. So, before you leave on an international trip, check the visa pages on your passport. Many countries require you to have 2-4 blank visa pages. If your passport doesn’t have enough pages, they won’t let you in. Airlines may also require that you have a minimum number of blank visa pages before you can board the airplane.

If you’re not sure you have enough visa pages to travel, check with your airline and with the embassy of the country you’re traveling to. If you need more visa pages for your US passport, here’s how to get them:

• Fill out an official Request for Extra Visa Pages , Form DS-4085.
• Mail it in with your valid US Passport.
• There’s no fee to add extra pages unless you use the government’s expedited service. Then, you’ll pay a $60 extra fee and the cost of express delivery.  Right now, requests for expedited service from the government are processed within 2 weeks.
• If you need your extra passport pages in less than 2 weeks, you’ll have to make an appointment with a US Passport Agency or use a private expediting service like RushMyPassport.com.
• A private passport expediting service can get your passport pages in as little as 24 hours, and you won’t have to drive to a US Passport Agency to get them.

Are you looking for a new job?  Tourism Queensland in Queensland, Australia, is currently offering one lucky person the best job ever: Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef! So, what does the caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef do for a living? NileGuidance has a great post up that gives details about the position. Apparently, job duties include enjoying the islands and engaging in such difficult and stressful activities as snorkeling, scuba diving, perhaps even lounging on the beach. Then, you would publicize the islands and their charms by taking pictures, videos and blogging about your experiences. Sure, that’s a heavy workload, but you would be well-compensated. The salary comes out to approximately $100,000 dollars a year, and you get free housing, gear and airfare. (more…)

If you’re applying for a rush passport, it’s important to send in the correct documents the first time you apply.  If you don’t include everything the government needs to process your passport application, your passport could be delayed. To make sure your passport application goes through the first time, here’s a quick tutorial on what the government will accept as proof of citizenship.

When do you need to include proof of citizenship?

You must include proof of citizenship in your rush passport application if any of the following circumstances apply:

• You are getting a passport for the first time
• Your original passport was lost or damaged
• Your original passport was issued more than 15 years ago and/or you were under 16 when it was issued.
• Your name has changed and you don’t have the legal documents to prove it.

If you are renewing your passport by mail and none of the conditions listed above apply to you, all you have to do is send your old passport in with your passport application. (more…)

On June 1st, the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative will begin. That means that almost all travelers crossing into Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean will need to have a US passport or a US passport card. However, starting February 17, Vermont will begin issuing enhanced drivers’ licenses, which can take the place of passports for a quick jaunt over the Canadian border.

What makes these Enhanced Drivers’ Licenses so special? The new licenses contain a radio frequency identification chip  which can be read up to 20 feet away. To reassure Vermonters concerned about the privacy of their personal data, the chip only contains a number. The government can use the unique number programmed into your chip to bring up your picture and other information in a government database, ensuring that the license you’re carrying belongs to you.

Citizens of Vermont will pay an extra $25 for the enhanced IDs, which will undoubtedly be worth it for people who don’t have a passport but make frequent quick trips over the Canadian border. However, the Enhanced Drivers’ License can only be used in place of a passport for trips to countries covered by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which includes Canada, Mexico, and some countries in the Caribbean.  You will still a need a passport for any other international trips.

If you need to get a passport quickly, the easiest way to get one is to use a passport expediting service like RushMyPassport.com. An expediting company whisks your passport application form through the application process, significantly cutting down on processing time.  In fact, with the help of an expediting service, you can have your passport issued in as little as 24 hours!

A lost passport can be a disaster if you have an international trip on the horizon. Imagine…you’re leaving in a few days, and you’re taking a final inventory to make sure everything is in order for your trip. You open the drawer that you usually keep your passport in, just to double-check…and it’s not there! Where did it go?

It’s probably in your house, waiting to be found. If you’re searching for a lost passport, try using Professor Solomon’s 12 Principles for Finding Lost Objects. These are really just common-sense suggestions to help you calm down and methodically search, but when it’s your passport that’s missing, it’s all too easy to throw common sense right out the window! (more…)

Whether you’ve changed your name due to marriage, divorce, or “just because,” the paperwork involved can be a huge hassle. There are so many different people and institutions that you have to call- your bank, credit card companies, the DMV…the list goes on and on. If you’re planning on traveling overseas anytime soon, don’t forget to include the US Passport Agency on that list, too! You’ll need to get a new passport with your new name to avoid getting stuck at the border.

How do you request a US Passport renewal with a name change? If you have the appropriate legal documents, you can simply place them in the mail with your US passport renewal application. Here are the details:

• If your passport was issued less than a year ago, you can submit Form DS-5504. There’s no fee for using this form unless you need it expedited. However, if your passport was issued more than 90 days ago, you do need to include new photos.
• If your passport was issued more than a year ago, you can submit the US passport renewal application, form DS-82. You will be charged the normal US passport renewal fees. (more…)

We’ve already told you that 2009 is going to be a great year for travel. If you can afford an international vacation, the world is your oyster this year. What are some of the top travel destinations for 2009? The travel industry is not immune to the frenzy of listmania that seems to descend on everyone with the start of a New Year, and almost every travel website has its own list of the best places to visit in 2009.

If you’re trying to make travel plans and need some inspiration, I’d recommend saving yourself some time and heading over to Budget Globetrotting. They’ve created a handy compilation of lists from other travel websites, so you can see them all at once without having to search for them individually.  See recommended destinations from Frommer’s, Lonely Planet, Bootsnall and more, and start making plans for the year to come!

Now, some of these destinations, like Washington, DC (recommended by Frommer’s and TravelMuse), are in the US. However, many of the more intriguing destinations are overseas. Do you fancy kayaking in Vilnius, Lithuania? How about checking out the scenic Bay of Fire in Tasmania, as Lonely Planet suggests? If you’re going overseas in 2009, you need to arrange for passport services now if you don’t have a valid passport. There are two ways to get passport services-you can go directly through the government, or you can arrange passport services with a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com. If you’re in a hurry to leave, getting passport services from an expediting company is often worth the extra cost. Using an expeditor means that you’ll have a trained passport specialist to help you through the process, ensuring that everything goes smoothly and you have your passport in hand when you need it!

Sometimes, a lost passport isn’t as much of a tragedy as you’d think. For example, in this article from the Santa Fe Reporter, one writer described how losing a passport right before an international trip gave him the chance to see the exquisite art in the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas. Why Houston? Houston is home to one of the 15 US Passport Agency offices scattered throughout the country. These offices are capable of issuing a same day passport if you appear in person with the right documents.

After realizing he had lost his passport right before a trip to Mexico, writer Zane Fischer scheduled an overnight stop in Houston on his way out of the country. By making an appointment at the US Passport Agency office, he was able to get a same day passport and still had time to check out some of the city’s best art. If you’re interested in art, his article contains an amusing description of the eclectic Menil Collection, which contains everything from Byzantine frescoes to the abstract expressionist paintings of Mark Rothko.

Same Day Passports Without Going to a Passport Agency Office

However, not everyone is able to stop by a Passport Agency office on the way out of the country.  What if you need a same day passport and can’t make it to one of the Passport Agency offices? In that case, a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com can hand-deliver your passport application to the passport office for you. When you use an expediting service for a same day passport, your application will be handled by trained passport specialists, and you’ll be able to track your order. In most cases, you can get your passport within 24 hours, without having to make an appointment or wait in line!

How do you know when it’s time to renew your passport? This may sound like a trick question. After all, isn’t the expiration date written right there next to your picture? Not so fast…just because your passport hasn’t expired yet,  that doesn’t mean that you can actually use it to travel. Many countries require that your passport be valid for a certain amount of time after you enter the country-usually 3 or 6 months. If you try to leave for your trip with a passport that’s valid now but doesn’t have enough time left before the expiration date, you won’t be allowed to leave the country until you renew your passport.

How do you know how much time you need to have left on your passport? The US Department of State maintains a website of country-specific information. Visit the site, look up the country you are visiting, and find that country’s entry and exit requirements. This will tell you what travel documents are required and how long your passport needs to be valid after the date of your departure.

If you need to renew your passport, you have two options: going directly through the US government, or using a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com. If you need your new passport quickly, a private expediting company can provide a high level of personalized customer service to make sure your plane doesn’t leave without you! For more information on the passport renewal process, check out our step-by-step guide to passport renewal.

If you’re traveling overseas with your family, the following information on passport services for children will help you secure the documents you need to take your kids on an international adventure.

If I’m traveling outside the US, does my child need a passport?

In most cases, yes. Even infants need a passport to travel outside of the country. The only exception is for children under the age of 16 traveling by land or sea between countries covered by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and most Caribbean nations). Here, children under 16 traveling can use a birth certificate or other proof of citizenship to re-enter the US through a port or a land border crossing.  However, if you’re traveling internationally by plane, your child needs a passport even if you’re only going to Mexico or Canada. (more…)