Applying for a Passport

For anyone who travels frequently, especially to other countries, the most important document that they need to have in their possession is a passport. A passport is the one document that serves as an identification when you are traveling to country that is not your native country. Applying for a passport is not a difficult process but for most first time applicants, the process can seem harrowing and even confusing. If you are applying for a US passport for the first time then all you need to do is follow the easy steps given below to learn what is involved in applying for a passport for the first time.

How to Apply for a Passport

The process of getting a US passport is a comparatively easy one. In order to getting a passport, the documents that you need are listed out below.

• If you are getting a passport for the first time, then you will need to have legally valid document that is valid as a proof of identification and citizenship. In case you were born abroad, then you will need relevant documents from the Consular Report of Birth Abroad.
• Another document that you will need is the application form. You will need to download the online application of passport. In case you are renewing your passport, then it is possible for you to do so by mail. In this case you will need to fill a form that is known as the DS-82 form. But in case you are applying for a new passport or if your passport was made before you were sixteen years of age, then the form that you need to download from the official website is the DS-11 form. There is no way of applying for a passport online, but the form needed for the same is available on the internet. In case you are applying, because your passport was either lost or stolen, then you need to download the DS-63 form.
• Other than these documents, you will also need to have two passport sized photographs. In case you are applying for a visa after getting the passport, then remember to have multiple copies of these passport sized photos.

Once you have all the documents that you need, you will need to submit the application. If you want to know how much a passport costs, then you need to understand that the cost is different for different applications. If you are applying for a passport for the first time, then the answer to the question how much does a passport cost is, about USD 110. For the renewal of the passport, the fees is generally about USD 75. Once you have submitted all the documents that are needed, and paid the fees, the process of applying for a passport is over. A question that many first time applicants often ask is how long does it take to get a passport. The process of passport application and then getting the passport delivered to you, takes about five to six weeks. During peak season, this process may take longer, but if you are in a real hurry to get a passport, then it is possible to apply for expedited services. Though in such a case, the answer to the question how much does a passport cost changes. In such a scenario, you will need to pay as much as USD 200 to USD 250 to get the passport on the same day, and if you are ready to wait for two weeks, then an extra fee of USD 70 will need to be paid.

As you must have figured if you are applying for a passport then the process of how to get a US passport is a very simple one. As long as you have all the necessary documents as required by the US Department of State's Passport Services office, you should have no problem receiving this document as soon as possible.