Expedited Passports

Wouldn’t it be nice to have an extra passport? The New York Times has an article up about the advantages of getting a passport from more than one country.  Although traveling with more than one passport may seem sneaky, like something a spy would do, if you have dual nationality it’s perfectly legal. Getting a passport from more than one country allows you to pick and choose which customs lines you go through, and prevents you from having to advertise your nationality in places where it’s safer not to be an American. Plus, it can make it easier to live and work abroad.

How do you go about getting a second passport? According to the New York Times article referenced above, many American citizens qualify for dual nationality for one reason or another, including “ethnic heritage, religion, country of birth or where their spouse was born.” So, you may qualify for an additional passport without even knowing it!  If do you qualify, you should be aware that getting a passport from another country could subject you to additional obligations, too, including tax obligations and military service in some countries. However, in many cases you can secure an exemption as an American citizen.

Also, if you’re an American citizen, you still need a US passport to enter and leave the US. A foreign passport won’t work! When it comes to getting a US passport, you have two options. You can go through the US Passport Agency, or use a private expediting company. Although the US Passport Agency does offer expedited service for an additional fee, if you’re running on a tight schedule, a private passport expediter is your best bet. They can help you with all the necessary paperwork and ensure that you get your passport in  as little as 24 hours!

Businesses on both sides of the Mexican and Canadian borders are concerned about the potential impact of new passport laws for travelers crossing into Mexico and Canada by land or sea. At one time, you didn’t need a passport to travel to Mexico or Canada. However, in 2007, under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the government began requiring passports for people re-entering the US from Mexico or Canada by air. Starting in June of 2009, the government will also require passports for people traveling to Mexico, Canada and Bermuda by land and sea.

As MSNBC reports, businesses that depend on tourists from across the Mexican and Canadian borders are concerned that the new requirements may adversely affect on their business. For example, the MSBNC report notes that at the Jay Peak Ski Resort in Vermont, almost half of the visitors are Canadian.  Resort owners fear that many of these visitors are not yet aware of the new passport requirements for driving across the border, which could cause people without passports to change or even cancel their travel plans.

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It used to be so easy to pop in for a visit to our neighbors in Mexico and Canada. Years ago, all you had to do was verbally declare your citizenship at the border. Then, the government passed the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).  WHTI tightened identification requirements for people traveling to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. So, do you need a passport to go to Canada? Do you need a passport to go to Mexico? Right now, you don’t need a passport to go to either of these countries by land or by sea, but you do if you’re flying in. However, starting June 1, 2009, you will need a passport or another form of WHTI-compliant ID to cross the border, period. For most people, a passport or a passport card is the easiest WHTI-compliant document to obtain.

According to this interesting post on the LA Times’ Daily Deal blog, it’s a good idea to get your passport application in now if you plan to travel out of the country in 2009.  In the past, changes in passport requirements have caused massive increases in the number of passport applications the department has to process.  In 2007, a deluge of extra passport applications increased the processing time required for new or updated passports. It’s possible that the new 2009 passport laws could have the same effect. Of course, the fastest and most foolproof way to apply for your passport is to use a passport expediting service like RushMyPassport.com.  With an expediting service, you have a professional to review your passport application, catch any mistakes, and personally see that it gets processed in the promised amount of time.  It’s hard to beat that type of service!

For international travelers, the economic crisis has a silver lining: the recovery of the US Dollar. Earlier this year, international travel was like putting a vacuum hose into your bank account. The dollar was so weak that you would lose money just by changing it to a local currency! Suddenly, international travel is much more affordable, but nobody’s sure how long that will last. Now is the time to take that overseas trip you’ve been dreaming of.

Before you go, don’t forget to check the expiration date on your passport! Even if it hasn’t expired yet, some countries won’t let you in if it expires in less than 6 months. You can renew your passport by mail as long as all of the following are true:

• Your old passport hasn’t been lost or damaged.
• Your old passport is less than 15 years old and you were over 16 when you received it.
• You have legal documents to support any name changes you’ve made since your last passport was issued.

To renew your passport by mail, complete the following steps:

1. Fill out the Department of State’s passport renewal Form DS-82. Send it along with your old passport, 2 passport photos, and any legal name change documents.
   
2. Show the government the money: renewing your passport by mail costs $75.00. An expedited passport costs an additional $60.00.
   
3. Regular passport renewal requests should be processed in 3 weeks, although it may take longer. Expedited passport renewal requests take about 2 weeks.

What if you need your passport renewed more quickly? (more…)