The upcoming family reunion will be held in Whistler, Canada, just north of
Seattle. Due to
changes in customs policy effective October 2007,
- If you fly to Canada from the U.S., a passport will be
required
for entry and/or exit
- If you travel by land or sea, you will need
- either a valid passport
- or proof of U.S. citizenship, which includes
- A previous passport that has not been altered or damaged, or
- A certified birth certificate issued by a U.S. city, county, or state, or
- A certified birth certificate means that it is not a copy. It has
a registrar's raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal, registrars
signature, and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar's office,
which must be within 1 year of your birth.
- Consular report of birth abroad or certification of birth, or
- Naturalization certificate, or
- Certificate of citizenship, or
- Both a birth certificate and a government-issued ID (such as a driver's license)
Not everyone in the family has a current passport, so this FAQ has been
created to provide family members with information regarding obtaining or
renewing a U.S. passport.
If you have any questions or additional information, please feel free to
send an e-mail.
Last update: March 22, 2008
Q: Where is my local passport office where I can obtain or renew a passport?
A: You can find the closest of the over 9,000 passport offices here.
Locations include post offices, public libraries, etc..
Q: What documents do I need to obtain or renew a passport?
A: To get a new passport, you need 4 things
- An Application for Passport (form DS-11).
You can obtain this form at your local passport office or click on the provided
link to download it.
- Two passport photos
- Proof of U.S. citizenship
- A list of the documents that constitute proof of U.S. citizenship is given at the
top of this page.
- A valid form of photo ID such as a driver's license
If you do not have any of the above as proof of U.S. citizenship, please see
this page
for more information.
Q: How long does it take to get a passport?
A: At the time of this writing (March 2008) passports are taking
roughly 4 weeks to process with expedited passport requests taking 3 weeks.
Note that processing times increase during the summer months. Although
processing times have improved significantly since last year, during the summer
crunch of 2007 (ending in September) passport applications were taking about
10-12 weeks to process. Following the summer 2007 crunch, passports were
taking
3 to 6 weeks
to process.
It is recommended that passport applications be submitted by June 1, 2008 at the latest.
For the latest information on processing times, see
this page.
Q: How much does it cost to obtain or renew a passport?
A: It currently costs $97 to obtain a new passport. Renewing a passport costs $67.
If you need a passport in a hurry, you can pay for an expedited passport. The
expediting fee is an additional $60.
For more information, see this page.
Q: Do I need a passport for my child? How do I get passports for my kids?
A: First, note that you may not need a passport for your
child. According to the
Whistler passport information web site,
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On February 22, 2007, the U.S. government announced its intent to propose
flexibility for Canadian and U.S. children as part of the Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking for land and sea travel under the U.S. WHTI, which will be published
at a later date.
The proposal will allow children aged 15 years and under, with parental
consent, to cross the border into the United States with a certified copy of
their birth certificate instead of a passport. The same arrangement will apply
to children between the ages of 16 and 18 who are travelling with a group under
adult supervision, such as a school, sports or religious group.
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If more information becomes available, we will include in the FAQ.
However, if you are going to obtain a passport for your child, procedures
depend on whether your child is 14-17 years old or less than 14 years old.
- Children aged 14-17
- The child must appear in person at their local passport office
- For security reasons, parental consent may be requested.
- If your child does not have identification of his/her own, you need to accompany your child, present identification and co-sign the application.
- Children less than 14 years old
- The child must appear in person at their local passport office
- You must bring a document, such as a birth certificate, establishing your relationship with the child.
- See here for more information if you do not have a birth certificate.
- Both parents or legal guardians must present evidence of identity when applying for a child under age 14.
- I presume this rule is intended to prevent custody disputes from becoming international incidents.
- If both parents can't be present, a notarized form DS-3053
(or a handwritten letter providing the same information as given on a form DS-3053)
must be provided for the parent who is not present or you must meet the
requirements outlined here.
Q: Do I have to go to my local passport office in person or can I handle it by mail?
A: To obtain a new passport, you have to visit your local passport office in person.
However, you can renew a passport by mail if
- You have your most recent passport,
- Your most recent passport has not been altered or damaged,
- Your most recent passport is less than 15 years old, or
- Your currently valid passport has been lost or stolen
If you do not meet these criteria to renew a passport, you must renew in person at your local passport office.
Q: Where do I get passport photos?
A: There are probably many places close by to get passport
photos. I have found that local grocery stores, drug stores (such as Walgreens), postal supply and packaging stores, and camera and
photo processing stores often provide passport photo services.
Check under "Passport Photo & Visa Information & Services" in your local
yellow pages for a location near you.
Q: Do I need a Canadian travel visa to enter Canada?
A: If you are a U.S. citizen, no. Just show up at the border with your
passport or proof of U.S. citizenship.
