Posted on

How’s Your Passport?

Is your passport about to expire? You don’t know?

It’s time to take it out and look at it. Check the expiration date. Then, think about when you will be traveling.

You may need to apply for a new one. Check out this new information from the Department of State.

 

Effective April 2, 2018, the passport execution fee will increase from $25 to $35.  The $10 execution fee increase only applies to U.S. passport applicants using the DS-11 form, such as first-time applicants over 16, children under 16, and applicants who re-apply after reporting their previous passport lost or stolen.

The $10 fee increase does not apply to adults eligible to renew their passport by mail using the DS-82 form.  Renewal customers can mail their application and supporting documentation to the Department of State and should not apply at a passport acceptance facility or pay an execution fee.

Customers applying with the DS-11 form pay two separate fees: an application fee to the U.S. Department of State and the execution fee to the passport acceptance facility. Passport acceptance facilities such as post offices, clerks of court, or public libraries are designated to accept passport applications on behalf of the U.S. Department of State.  With more than 7,600 acceptance facility locations, customers applying for the first time can find a convenient location to apply for their passport. Some acceptance facilities are open nights and weekends and take passport photos on-site.

The Department of State generally sets consular fees at an amount calculated to achieve recovery of the costs to the U.S. government of providing the consular service. The latest Cost of Service Model showed that the costs associated with passport execution were higher than the current fee of $25.

The proposed fee change was published in the Federal Register as a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and public comments were accepted until November 18, 2016, 60 days after the Notice’s publication. The Final Rule, implementing the change, includes the Department’s response to relevant comments received.

For more information, you can go to the State Department’s website, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/passports/execution-fee-increases.html.

 

 

Other than the price increase, you shouldn’t wait to apply beyond April, because the time it takes to process a passport will be longer due to increased demand.

One more important note: for frequent travelers, when you apply for your passport, make sure you ask for the extended number of pages—about 50 instead of the usual 24.

Why? Because once you fill up that passport with country entry and departure stamps, the U.S. State Department will no longer add pages to your passport.

You’ll be forced to get a new one.