Posts Tagged ‘US passport’

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A U.S. Passport Gives You Access To The World

Monday, January 16th, 2012

If you are planning to travel out of the country, a U.S. passport is a necessity. The business of your trip does not matter. You could be planning an exotic getaway, studying for a semester in another country, or traveling internationally for business. Whatever the case, you will need this to enter any other country. It Is smart to plan and apply for your passport ahead of time.

Benefits

The benefits to having this document are vast. Without one, there are many places in the world that you will not be able to travel to. This is particularly true in the world today. In the past, without passports you could enter countries such as Canada. Presently, however, this is not possible. Any type of international travel requires that you carry this with you.

Easy To Obtain

Luckily, it is not too difficult to obtain passports. In most cases, you will be able to submit your application locally. It is a little more complicated if your travel dates are near. If you are planning to travel internationally in fewer than two weeks, you will be able to schedule an appointment at a regional passport agency. You can even obtain one from outside of the United States by contacting the embassy or consulate.

Valuable Document

You may believe that it is not necessary to have one at all times. In fact, it is recommended that those who have family living or traveling abroad, are considering a vacation internationally, or have a job that could lead to international travel always maintain their passports and make sure theirs is valid. Already having a valid document will save you substantial time and money in the event of an unexpected business trip, a family emergency, or even in the event you come across a great airline deal.

Foreign Country Requirements

In fact, some countries need you to have yours valid at least six months beyond the dates of your planned travel. Because of this, it is recommended that you renew approximately nine months before the expiration date. This way, you will avoid any unforeseen problems.

Valid Period

Your document is valid for ten years if you were over 16 when it was issued. It is valid for five years if you were fifteen or younger. In order to keep your passport valid you must keep track of the dates of issuing.

Emergency Situations

If there is an emergency, there are still solutions available to you. If you do not have a valid document and a life or death emergency involving death or serious illness or injury occurs to someone in your immediate family in a country that requires a passport, you can appear in person at a passport agency for emergency service. You may have to provide documentation about the emergency.

Having a valid U.S. passport allows you to easily travel the world. By applying for one even if you don’t need it right away, you will save yourself time and energy in the long run. You will now be prepared for any unforseen circumstances including business or personal. There are also passports for children, while applying for yours you can start the process for a child passport as well.

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Passports Throughout History

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

A passport is a document that officially identifies a person as a citizen of a certain country. Its main purpose is for identification. This official document also enables you to enter a particular country and leave it as well. Without a passport, no one would know who you are. Below is information about them and why it is very important to have one.

History

First, let us know a little about their history. These authorization papers date back to the time of the Persian Empire as recorded in the Bible. At the time of the First World War, governments brought up the idea of having some sort of identification for security reasons as there were many spies at that time. This way of identifying people has remained in practice today.

Types of Passports

There are different kinds of credentials ranging from ordinary, temporary, diplomatic and official. They are permits that include the person’s name, date of birth, nationality and gender. It may also include fingerprints. This booklet normally has various pages.  When a person travels, the visa, which is an official stamp allowing someone to travel to the country of their choice, is stamped on one of the pages and is evidence that you are in the country legally.

Where To Apply

It is acquired from the concerned offices or even from the Embassies. All you need is to fill out the required forms and provide the authorities with your latest photo, which will play a big part in identifying you as the passport holder. A fee could be charged that will go towards its processing.

Benefits

The benefits of this passport are many. Apart from telling the world who you are, it is vital that you have one because, in case you are in a foreign country and you are in some sort of trouble or something goes wrong, you need your authorization papers. With them, you can go to your country Embassy and have them assist you.

In Case Of Death

In the case of death, it is going to assist people to locate your family and relatives if you are perhaps in a different country. It also allows you to travel to foreign lands as a tourist or to see family and friends. You have to make sure that your passport is up to date. Passports expire after a certain period of time.

Help For Law Enforcement

Another role of this document is to assist law enforcers in their work. Once you have acquired this permit, your records are available to the security and the police departments. Hence it makes their work easier in terms of reducing crime and arresting criminals. The police will just match the fingerprints on the authorization document and those found at the site of the crime and determine who the culprit is.

It is therefore necessary to have a passport. It will not only identify you but also assist you into getting into all those countries that you have dreamed about visiting be it taking a vacation or just being adventurous! This guide should assist you in getting a passport and everyone in your family one. There are even child passport services as well as infant passport services.

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What You Need To Know Regarding The Passport Card

Friday, July 8th, 2011

Recently, the United States released another option to the passport booklet. The pass port card is a small, credit card sized form of travel documentation that U. S. Citizens may use to re-enter the US at land-border crossings, and at entrances from seaports. You may travel from Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Bermuda. This kind of identification is less costly and pocket-sized. It is a wonderful alternative for those of us that travel quite a bit between the countries listed above. Starting on the 14th of July in 2008, it will become readily available to all eligible United States Citizens. So far, over 2,700,000 citizens have applied.

International Travel

You must also understand that although the booklet allows for travel between international countries via airplane, the US Passport card will only allow for automobile travel and travel by boat. It was made for citizens living on the North and South borders of the US. Those who travel to Mexico and Canada enough require a more convenient form of identification to travel between each country. This card makes it easier to do so without having to apply for an urgent U S passport.

Electronic Chip

Inside each one is a chip called the “RFID chip”. This is a chip that is read by vicinity through a certain frequency implanted inside of it. This chip helps to speed up the amount of time it takes for the government to process your ID. It doesn’t have any personal info on it, just a specific number that IDs a government database record.

Security Precautions

You don’t need to worry about security either. Each card is engraved by lasers with state-of-the-art technology, which keep security at a maximum while limiting the ability of criminals to try to counterfeit your documents. It also comes with a sleeve that protects the card from being scratched or read.

Required Documents

To apply for one, you must have the necessary documents required to prove your identity and citizenship. Proof of citizenship can include a previously issued, undamaged United States passport, a birth certificate that is issued by the city, county, or state, a report of birth abroad or a certificate of birth, a certificate of citizenship, and a naturalization certificate. Acceptable identification includes a previously issued unharmed passport, a naturalization certificate, a valid driver’s license, a current government ID that is city, state, or federal or a current military ID.

Proper Identification

Proper identification includes a certificate of naturalization, current government ID – state, federal, or city, a valid military ID, or a valid driver’s license. In addition to these forms of ID, you are also required to bring one small photograph that is 2 by 2 inches. Only a single photo is required. As soon as you have prepared all the required documents, print and fill out the DS-11 form available online, and go in person to one of several application facilities across the United States. You can locate these places on the Internet.

Application Fee

The fee for the application itself is thirty dollars. The execution fee is twenty-five. For minors under the age of 16, the application fee is fifteen dollars and the execution fee is twenty-five.

Application Submission

After you submit the passport application, it typically takes between four and six weeks to fully process and ship. There is expedited service available which costs a bit extra. It typically takes between two and three weeks.

Wait Time

When applying for your United States passport card, make sure you give yourself plenty of time so you have it in time for your trip. Nothing is worse than getting to the airport and not having the correct forms of ID, even after applying for an urgent United States passport. Have fun and be safe!

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Everything Else You Are Curious About, Its In London

Monday, June 20th, 2011

London, home to eight million people and the biggest city in Western Europe, is absolutely overflowing with people, culture, ideas, and history. Renowned for the shopping, historical landmarks, vibrant nightlife, and plenitude of things to do, London makes for a top-notch vacation spot. If you have an interest in something, you will be able to find something in London to cater to that interest. Before you travel to London or anywhere else outside the United States, you will need to get a United States passport first.

Passport Services

Getting your passport expedited doesn’t need to drain the life out of you. With online new passport services, you never have to drive to a passport agency or a post office, wait in line, and then wait for months for your passport to arrive ever again. Instead, you can choose when you’d like to have your passport delivered, and it arrives by the time you need it. You can also use several other online services, such as a passport renewal for if you already have a passport, passports for children, and more. Online passport services takes the stress out of getting a passport.

Urban Adventures

If you are interested in seeing what London and life in London is really like, don’t miss out on the London Urban Adventures Tour. With a group of no more than 12 others (and usually much less), you and a friendly, very knowledgeable guide explore the lesser-known parts of London: the back roads, the most interesting shops, and more. This tour focuses on showing people what London behind the tourist screen is like, and you are sure to walk away feeling like a Londoner, with knowledge that can’t be found in a travel handbook.

Thames River

The Thames River cruise is another must-do attraction. The Thames winds through the center of London, past all the most famous attractions and all the best sights, such as the Tower of London, the HMS Belfast, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and more. Taking a cruise saves your feet from all the walking, and gives you the best views of these famous landmarks without having to push through crowds of people.

Tower Of London

As one of the most important landmarks in all of London, the Tower of London is definitely something you don’t want to skip. Officially a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Tower of London is very important cultural and historical landmark, and the area has served as a lookout for a thousand years. It’s also said to be haunted, with people seeing the ghosts of famous historical people like Anne Boleyn, Jane Gray, Henry VI, and more. You can also see the Crown Jewels inside, along with old notes scribbled by long-gone prisoners and historical exhibits, including pretty grimace-worthy one on torture.

Castles And Palaces

Also be sure to check out all the impressive castles and palaces in London, such as Hampton Court Palace, the home of King Henry VIII, Windsor Castle, the largest occupied castle in the world, and Kensington Palace, where Queen Victoria was born and where Princess Diana lived.

London Sights

If you are interested in something, London can offer something to cater to that interest. All you will need to travel there is a US passport, which is easily done online. With pass port renewal service and more, you can get ready for a last-minute trip to London quickly and easily.

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Obtaining A United States Passport

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

If you have dreams about taking that dream vacation abroad, one of your first steps should be to get a passport. Need to know how to get a  US passport quick for that dream vacation? With some preparation and a little effort, the process should not be too frustrating or complicated.

Passport Applications

You can get a passport application at a post office or you may download one from the U.S. State Department online website when renewing your US passport online. You should follow the directions exactly and completely fill out the form. The correct form is a DS-11. You will need to have this in your possession when you apply for the passport.

Proving Citizenship

Next, you will need documents that prove your United States citizenship. You are required to obtain a certified official birth certificate from the city, county or state of your birth. This should not be a copy. The certified certificate of birth remains the most accepted proof of U.S. citizenship.

Birth Certificate

If you do not have or cannot obtain a certified copy of your birth certificate, it makes it more difficult to apply for a passport. You can obtain a letter of no record from the state you were born in. This is an official document stating that there is no birth certificate on file for you. You could also try to obtain a hospital birth certificate, baptismal record, census records, early school record and any record of early doctor care. Another way is to get an affidavit of birth form from an older blood relative who has personal knowledge of your birth. This should be signed and notarized.

Born Abroad

If you were born in a foreign nation to one or two United States parents, you need to get a foreign certificate of birth. It would help to also get proof of U.S. Citizenship for your parents. Your parents can also sign an affidavit which lists the places they have resided for different time periods prior to and after your birth. The next step to take in the getting your first time passport is to prove your identity. This can be proven by bringing with you an old passport, a valid state drivers license, a government ID card, or a military ID card.

Passport Photos

You are almost there, but there are a a few more steps. Next, you need to have two photographs taken. These passport photos should be taken in regular everyday clothing. You should not wear a cap or anything covering your head. You should not wear uniforms or anything that is not normal everyday clothing. You can locate merchants that take passport photos on the Internet or in the phone book. The photos should be of your full face, two by two size and absolutely identical. Merchants who take passport photos are usually aware of the proper requirements, but familiarize yourself with these requirements as well so there are no mistakes. Incorrectly snapped photos will slow down the entire application process.

Application Fees

Before you go to apply for your passport, write down your social security number. It is a requirement to know it when you apply. Next, the government wants your money! Do a search online prior to your visit to the passport acceptance facility and know what fees you will be required to pay.

Acceptance Facilities

There are approximately 7000 passport acceptance facilities across the nation. They include county and municipal offices, county courts, post offices, and some public libraries. Make sure all your paperwork is in order before you go as this will help things move along smoothly. Your new United States passport should arrive at your home sometime in two months or less after you have completed the passsport renewal process. If you are in a rush, and want to know how to get a rush passport, here’s a secret: money! You can shell out $60 or more and the government will send it out as a rush. With your new passport in hand, you will be ready to set sail, or take a plane to new and exciting foreign lands!

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How To Replace A Stolen US Passport

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

If you’ve lost your passport or if it was stolen, it’s important that you know how to replace lost passports. Don’t know where to start? You’ve come to the right place because we’ll show just how to do this with the help of this article.

It all begins with your reporting of the loss of your passport. This is an important step that you need to do immediately. To report this, you will need to fill up a DS-64 form. This is a form that will contain your statement regarding the loss of your passport. Alternatively, you could call the Passport Services office of the US Department of State. But if you are in another country when you lost your passport, you’d need to visit the nearest US Consulate or Embassy immediately.

When filling up your Form DS-64, make sure that you fill in every item correctly and exhaustively. This may also require you to remember details that surround the loss of your passport. Fill in any detail that you think will be helpful in replacing your passport. Once you are done with this step, you can then send the form to the Passport Services office of the US State Department.

How about in cases when the passport that you lost was still valid by the time it disappeared? You would be required to have your passport replaced. To do this, you would have to submit your Form DS-64, along with the DS-11 in person. The DS-11 is the form you fill up to apply for a replacement United States passport. You would then send these forms to your nearest passport agency or acceptance facility.

Take note that once your passport has been reported lost, that passport will be invalidated. It means that that passport is no longer an official document, and can therefore no longer be used for travel. Also, once invalidated, you cannot request the passport to be re-validated. You would thus need to apply for a new passport.

What if you recover your passport after you’ve reported it was stolen? You will be required to send this to the US Department of State’s Passport Services office. You can request this passport returned to you, otherwise, it will be destroyed by the office.

When applying for a replacement passport, the acceptance facility will require you to submit your application in person. And since you have to travel to the agency’s office, it is highly advised that you check your documents before you even go there. This would save you the hassle of going back and forth until you are finally complete all the requirements.

Now that you know how to replace a stolen us passport, let’s sum things up a bit to wrap everything up. First, you need to report the loss of your passport immediately. You can either fill in the DS-64 form, call a toll-free number, or the nearest Consulate or Embassy, depending on your case. Once you’ve reported your loss, that’s only the time you can request for a replacement passport.

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Passport Applications Are Confusing But Necessary

Saturday, March 12th, 2011

Depending on the type of passport-related transaction you need to do, there will be a corresponding form you have to fill in. So whether it’s applying for a new passport, or reporting your lost or stolen passport, you can expect to fill in a passport for those. But you don’t really have to memorize them all, since they’re number-coded, and you’ll probably have to deal with only some of these forms. So if you want to learn more about us passport application forms, you’ve come to the right place. You need an application for a pass port name change. Read on.

First, there’s the DS-11. It’s the most basic type of passport application form, which is why it is understandably the most common. The reason for this is that this is the form filled in by those applying for a passport for the first time. But not only that, the DS-11 is also used by those whose latest passports were issued when they were under 16, or those whose passports were issued more than 15 years ago.

The DS-11 is the type of form you need to submit in person. This is unlike other passport forms that you can simply submit by mail. Just don’t forget to skip signing the form until you are told to so when you finally submit it at the passport office.

Not all pass port forms need to be submitted by hand. There are also passport applications you can send through the mail. If you’re going to apply for a passport using this option, then you’ll need to fill in the Form DS-82. This is the passport form used when sending your application by mail. So, if you’re after the convenience of submitting your passport by mail, then use the DS-82. Remember, though that using this may only apply to certain types of passport applications, so better check out with your local passport office first if this is the right option for you.

Should you lose your passport, or if it is stolen from you, you need to report it to the US Department of State immediately. While calling their office is an option, you should know that you can do this through the mail as well. To report your lost or stolen passport through the mail, fill in Form DS-64, which is the Statement Regarding a Lost or Stolen Passport.

However, if sending the DS-64 by mail is not an option, you can always submit it in person. You can do this if you are already planning of applying for a new passport in place of the one you lost. What you need to do is simply to pay the passport office a visit, and then submit Forms DS-64 and DS-11.

The great thing about submitting both forms at the same time is that you save yourself a lot of time when you do this. That way, you no longer have to submit one first, only to send in person the other one the next day. So if you can, submit both forms at the same time.

Keep in mind there are other US passport forms for different passport-related transactions. The ones we discussed here are by far the most commonly used by a lot of people. Now you know everything you need to know about american passport application forms.

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Getting An Emergency Passport Is Easy

Sunday, March 6th, 2011

Normally, you would need to go through the routine passport application when getting your passport. It’s fine if you don’t have to travel soon, and if you can be patient enough to wait for the long processing times for routine applications. Otherwise, you have an option of getting an 24 hour passport, or at least have your passport application expedited.

First, let’s discuss applying for an expedited passport. This is the type of passport application you would commonly need if you want to get your passport faster than the routine passport application. In cases where you cannot wait for the four to six weeks of processing that routine passports go through, an expedited passport is what you need.

Compared to routine passport applications, expedited Passports are usually processed within a two to three week period. And because routine passport applications sometimes take longer than six weeks to process, the US Department of State recommends travelers who need to leave the country in ten weeks to have their application expedited instead. For some, two to three weeks is still a long waiting period. However, it definitely is a huge improvement from the routine application.

Now who needs to have their passport application expedited? You need an expedited passport in cases where you need to go to a country that requires a US passport in less than two weeks. Aside from that, you would also need to have your application expedited if you need the passport in less than four weeks for your application of a foreign visa.

Again, the typical processing period of an expedited passport takes two to three weeks. But there are times when you cannot wait that long to get your passport. An example would be family emergencies that you would require you to leave the country sooner. That’s where you’ll need to apply for an emergency passport.

For emergency situations, the US Department of State issues emergency passports to those who really need it. Emergency passports are issued to citizens who have family emergencies outside the country and therefore need a passport in 48 hours or less. So in times of dire need, you can count on emergency passports to get you out of the country quickly.

But how do you apply for an emergency passport? For those unfortunate situations when you’ll need this type of passport, you’ll have to contact the National Passport Information Agency. This agency will be the one that will take care of your emergency passport needs. You can them any time of the day. However, should you be unable to set an appointment with the agency, just hang on the line and talk to the customer service representative and see what are options are available to you.

The two that we mentioned above are the two options you have if you need to get a United States Passport quickly, and cannot afford to go through the routine passport application. Usually, an expedited passport application would work for most people. But in cases where you are faced with a family emergency, the Emergency Pass Port is what you need to leave the country in less than 48 hours.

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Applying For A New US Passport – What You Need To Know

Saturday, March 5th, 2011

If it’s your first time to apply for a passport, you’ll likely be confused with all the things you need to deal with in such as short time. For one, there are all the forms and documents that you need to provide, and sometimes you will be required to do a little legwork. It’s not really that confusing, however, and it shouldn’t be complicated. Let’s make things a lot easier by showing you what you need to know about applying for a New Passport Application.

The first item you need to deal with is the different forms used when applying for passports. These different forms are used for different purposes, so you really need to know which one you’ll need. There’s a form for applying for a passport for the first time, then there’s another one that you’ll fill in if you lost your passport, and then a different one if you have to renew your passport. Since you want to apply for a passport, let’s deal with the first type of form.

Since you’re a first time passport applicant, you’ll need to fill in the DS-11 form. This is the form used by people who never had passports before. The good thing is that you can already download this form at the US Department of State’s website. You have the choice of filling the form in on your computer then printing it out, or you could also print out the form first then fill it in later by hand. What’s important here is the convenience it gives you. You no longer need to go to the passport office to get this form.

You will need to submit this form along with the other documents that may be required of you once you have completed this. When processing your passport, you have two options of going about this procedure. The first one is the routine passport processing, which you can choose if you’re not in a hurry to get your passport. Currently, the processing time for routine passports is four to six weeks.

Meanwhile, if you need to have your passport processed in less than four weeks, then you need to have your application expedited. As the name suggests, an expedited passport takes a lot faster to process than those that go through routine processing. In other words, expedited passports are given priority over routine ones.

Normally, an expedited Pass Port is processed within a two to three week period. This is obviously a lot faster than routine passports. If you need to travel in less than four weeks, then this is the option you need to take.

Since expedited passports are a form of value-added service, it’s already a given that this service will also come with an extra price. Don’t worry though, as the extra price isn’t that steep. In fact, the price already pays for itself in terms of processing speed and convenience that it gives you.

When it comes to applying for a First Time U.S. Passport, you have two options to go about it. First, you can choose the routine passport processing that doesn’t require an extra fee, but may be too slow if you need to travel soon. Then there’s the expedited Passport processing. The price that you pay for this kind of service is offset by the convenience and speed that it affords you.

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Tel Aviv – An Eclectic City On The Beautiful Mediterranean

Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

If you are looking for a place that stands out from the stereotypical vacation destinations, consider visiting Tel Aviv. This busy metropolitan city in Israel is not only beautiful, but it offers so much in the way of history and culture as well. Tel Aviv is the second largest city in Israel, and it is situated right on the coast of the turquoise Mediterranean Sea. Before you head to Tel Aviv, however, you will need to get a US passport.

Nowadays, people usually cringe at the thought of having to go through the passport application and retrieval process. It’s easy to understand their frustration. Having to run back and forth between places and then having to wait for months without any sign of progress can be incredibly frustrating. Thankfully, it’s not able to be done online. Services like US passport renewal are available, as is passport expediting.

While Jerusalem is the largest city in Israel, it mostly a governmental hub. Tel Aviv is the cultural capital. This means you can expect a unique sort of city experience, complete with vibrant nightlife and plenty of bars mixed with a deep cultural tradition and expansive historical influence.

One of the most popular things to see while in Tel Aviv is Old Jaffa. This ancient neighborhood is considered to be one of the oldest ports in the world, and it is said this is where Jonah boarded the ship before he was swallowed by the whale. In Classical mythology, the rocks that protrude from the port is where it is said Perseus rescued Andromeda from the sea monster. This area shows signs of being inhabited in 7500 BC. The hill above the port is 130 feet high and provides a great place from which to see the city. The area itself has lots of eclectic old shops and a central market square.

A whole section of Tel Aviv is the UNESCO World Heritage Site referred to as the White City. This section of Tel Aviv is the world’s largest concentration of Bauhaus buildings, around 4000 in total. This is a building style that is very unique and stems from a branch of German architecture that is very recognizable. The buildings are white, simple, and angular, all while retaining a sort of traditional feel. There is much history behind the German architectural influence in Israel. During the Second World War, many German Jews fled from the Nazi regime to Germany, bringing their building style along.

Among the biggest pulls of Tel Aviv is of course the beautiful Mediterranean coastline. The boardwalks along the beach feature bars, clubs, cafes, and make for a great atmosphere for a beach side walk.

Tel Aviv is one of those places that keeps you on your feet. No matter what sort of vacation experience you are seeking, whether it’s historical, religious, cultural, or just for fun, you can be sure Tel Aviv offers it. Just don’t forget about getting your US passport. Remember that US passport renewal is available online to help you get the process started.

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