Image via Wikipedia
Passports! If you want to be an international traveler and citizen of the world, these are for you!
You may have accounted for all the other aspects of your international trip – how you’ll get there, where you’ll stay, your budget, your plans – but to get through the gate, you’ll need a passport. It’s the international ID badge, and getting one takes time, so you’ll need to plan ahead.
In order to secure a US passport, you’ll need to fill out a form and fulfill various criteria. The specifics depend on your circumstances, but in general, you’ll need to provide proof of US citizenship (typically in the form of your birth certificate) and some other proof of identity, such as a driver’s license. You’ll have to pay a fee for the processing of your application and the generation of your passport (assuming you clear the approval process). You’ll need to decide what format of passport you want – in addition to the traditional passport book, you can get a passport card that is wallet-sized. It’s much cheaper, but provides only limited access. You can use it to go Mexico or Canada, but not to fly overseas. You’ll need a passport book for overseas travel.
You’ll also need to supply a photo to very specific spec; fortunately, most passport application facilities either feature or are nearby a place that will take such a picture for you. Once you’ve submitted all the proper documentation, you’ll have to wait for approval and then for the passport to be mailed to you. The process may seem cumbersome, but once you have a passport, it’s good for ten years.
Comments