Expedited Passports

US passports issued to Americans over 16 years of age are valid for 10 years. During that time, your appearance could change greatly. You could gain weight, lose weight, change your hairstyle, etc-leaving you looking like a completely different person!

Should you renew a valid passport if your appearance has changed since you last had your photo taken? In most cases, it’s not necessary-but it might not be a bad idea, either, especially if you’re traveling to Kenya. According to this article on TheStar.com, a Canadian woman was detained in Kenya because she no longer looked exactly like her passport photo, even though she had other forms of identification. She was kept in a jail in Kenya for 8 days, and had to pay $2,500 in bail.

If your passport is valid, you shouldn’t have to renew it until 9 months before it expires.  In most cases, you’ll be able to travel without any problems as long as your passport is valid and you have enough visa pages.  However, when traveling overseas, you’re at the mercy of the officials in the country that you’re traveling in. The US Embassy will do everything in its power to help you if you have problems, but it’s always better to avoid issues like this whenever possible. So, if you look like a completely different person than you did 5 years ago, renewing your passport early may help your trip go more smoothly.

If you need to renew your passport before your next trip, remember to allow enough time for the new passport to arrive in the mail. Currently, it’s taking at least 6 weeks to process a passport application with normal processing. If you apply for the government’s expedited service, you can still expect to wait at least 3 weeks for your passport. If you need to renew your passport in a hurry, the easiest way to do it is to use a private passport expediting company.  An expediting company can help you get your passport application processed more quickly, often as fast as 24 hours!

Why stress about getting your new passport? Renew your passport with us today!

When you go to get your passport photo taken,  you might be surprised when your photographer neglects to tell you to “smile and say cheese.”  That’s because the government has certain rules about what types of facial expressions are acceptable, and if you break these rules, your passport application could be rejected.  Because there are so many rules, many people are unsure whether or not it’s okay to smile for  a passport photo.

In some countries, such as Great Britain and Canada, smiling for a passport photo is strictly forbidden.  Looking serious, even downright gloomy, is encouraged. This is because these countries use facial recognition software to cut down on passport fraud.  Unfortunately, smiling can make it hard for this software to “read” your face.  For the same reason, Arkansas, Indiana, Nevada and Virginia have forbidden motorists to smile for driver’s license pictures.

However, in America, it’s still okay to smile for your passport photo. Just don’t go overboard. According to the US Department of State, “normal, un-exaggerated smiles are acceptable.” However, “unusual expressions” are forbidden. No crossing your eyes or sticking your tongue out.  Also, squinting is forbidden and you don’t want to show your teeth.  So, if you naturally have a big, toothy grin that changes the way your entire face looks, tone it down for the camera.

Before you go out for your big photo shoot, make sure to review the government’s rules for passport photos. Also, to make the passport application process go faster, consider submitting your application through a private passport expediting company. You’ll get personalized customer service from passport professionals, and since your application is delivered by hand to the US Department of State, you’ll get much quicker processing times, too. An expediting company can get your passport application processed in as little as 24 hours!

Order your passport today!

No matter how camera-shy you are, if you want a US passport, you’ll need to smile and say cheese first. There are several different places you can go to get passport photos made, or you can do it yourself.  Here are some of the different options available, as well as the pros and cons of each:

Drug Stores

Walgreen’s, CVS, Rite-Aid and most other drug store chains offer passport photo services.  The cost is usually around $7-8 for either one or two photos. Retakes are extra.

The Pro’s: Ideally, the photographer has been trained and is aware of all the special requirements for passport photos.  Plus, drug stores provide instant gratification, since your photos are ready in just a few minutes.

The Cons: This option is more expensive than doing it yourself, retakes cost extra and the quality of the pictures can vary.  Babies and toddlers can require multiple retakes to get pictures that comply with US Passport Agency regulations, and the charges can add up.

Post Office

Many post offices across the country are also US Passport Acceptance facilities and some of them offer passport photo services.  You can look up the location nearest you here.

Pros: Post office employees should be familiar with acceptance requirements for passport photos. Also, you can get your photo taken and turn in your application at the same time, so you’ll save a trip.

Cons: At $15.00, the fee is more expensive than going to a drugstore. Also, you may be required to make an appointment.

Professional Photographers

Some professional photography studios offer passport photo services.

Pros: You’ll probably get better, more attractive passport photos, since the person on the other end of the camera is a professional, full-time photographer. For infants and small children, professional photographers might get better results because they have extensive practice coaxing good pictures out of little kids. Some photographers offer “Executive passport photo services,” which means they’ll come to you for a hefty fee.

Cons: Fees vary by studio, but expect it to cost a good deal more than the post office. (more…)

If you’re traveling abroad with your infant, you’ll need to apply for a child passport before you go.  So, you’ll need to get acceptable passport photos. Many parents soon discover that getting a passport photo of a baby is more challenging than it sounds.  Here are the US Passport office’s requirements for infant passport photos:

• The photos must be 2 inches by 2 inches.
• The photos must have been taken within the past 6 months.
• Baby must be facing forward, looking at the camera and set against a white or off-white background.
• The size of the head in the picture must be between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches.
• No hats, headgear or cute little baby bonnets, please.
• The baby should have a “natural” expression-i.e. mouth closed, not laughing, screaming or crying.
• The photo itself must be good quality, clear and in-focus.
• The baby must be the only thing in the picture-nothing used to support the baby can appear in the picture’s frame. That includes you, your hands, your arm or your baby’s car seat.
• Pacifier’s are a no-no. (more…)

Like driver’s license pictures, passport photos are known for not showing people at their best.  Once you get a new passport, you’re probably going to be stuck with your passport photo for the next 10 years. If you’re the type of person who will be constantly embarrassed by a bad passport photo, these tips will help you take a better picture for your new passport:

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Passport photos are like driver’s license photos-they often look like mug shots. Of course, the whole purpose of a passport photo is to prove to government officials that this important document really does belong to you. Passport photos aren’t meant to be glamour shots. However, you do need a clear, in-focus photo that meets government guidelines if you’d like your passport application to be accepted the first time.

There are many places that take photos for US passports. However, as this excellent post on  Money, Matter and More Musings notes,  drugstore photos for US passports are somewhat expensive. Also, the quality can be less than optimal. Most people simply deal with the disappointment and move on, grumbling to themselves as they leave the store. The writer of the post I linked to above took matters into his own hands, using a free online digital photo editing service and a digital camera. He was able to save money on passport photos and get photos he was satisfied with.

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