STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

halleybird · Hermes

Passport help.

Lilykind · Hermes

First of all....SWEET!

When I applied for my passport, my mom (I was 16) took me to the county passport office, we filled out an application and took our pictures at this office. They then sent the passport to us three weeks later in the mail. They say it takes up to six weeks, though.

about.com is actually pretty helpful in this case.

http://phoenix.about.com/od/govtoff/a/passport.htm

-- Edited by Lilykind at 20:47, 2006-04-04

relrel · Marc Jacobs

yay! free trip to europe!

here's what i did to get my passport, not saying it would be the same but it's the way i did it:

pictures: you can get these done at kinkos or another type of place like this. camera shops sometimes do them as well. i got a bunch made at kinkos because i needed extra for my school's id as well as for the passport. you just walk in, stand against a wall, smile, wait ten minutes and presto! pictures!

i went to the courthouse to the actual passport office place (you know where a good place to get info from? go to a local college's website and look under study abroad. they might have a faq about passports) but you can also go to businesses that will do everything for you. i tend not to trust the businesses...get your passport in ten days or your money back time places, it seems sorta shady. i took the nice woman my ORIGINAL birth certificate, it can not be a photocopy! i also took my social security card and my state id along with my student id just in case. i filled out the form, she took my fingerprints and a check for the fee (i forget how much this was) and that was that. about a month later i got my lovely new passport in the mail along with my birth certificate back. you will need to let them have the birth certificate, i forget if she took the social security card too. it wouldn't hurt to bring proof of your marriage/name change just in case because of heightened security issues. i did do all my passport issues before 9/11 so im not sure if anything has changed. i believe to get a expedited passport you just pay extra money. to be sure, i would just head down to the courthouse and talk to the people there.

have fun!

eta: do you need travel visa's?? is the program taking care of that? they also take a while from the federal goverment. and im assuming you don't need any shots or anything, right?

-- Edited by relrel at 20:50, 2006-04-04

honey · Gucci

i'm pretty sure you can go to your local post office too. they should probably be able to tell you how long it takes as well.

halleybird · Hermes

thanks for the tips, guys. That link is really helpful, Lilykind. I am trying to avoid my post office, as I live near a retirement community and things...are....very....slow....there....

relrel- the company says the places we're going (England, France, Switzerland and Italy) don't require shots or visaas. Luckily for me.

Hermes

If you are a AAA member, get your passport pictures there - it's the best deal. You will need to take these pictures along with your birth certificate to the post office (at least that's what I did.)

here's a link for more info http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

halleybird · Hermes

I just found out that I don't have a certified copy of my birth certificate. I have the hospital one, but that's it. My mom doesn't know whether she EVER had a real one for me. Dammit!

rosie_the_riveter · Gucci

I know Costco does passport pictures too. That's about all I know about passports in general though. Congratulations on your trip though, sounds like fun. Can I come along? I'll hide in one of your suitcases and won't be any trouble, I promise

I love the new picture of Sully. Is he howling at something? Oh, how is Halley doing?

Hermes

halleybird2 wrote:

I just found out that I don't have a certified copy of my birth certificate. I have the hospital one, but that's it. My mom doesn't know whether she EVER had a real one for me. Dammit!

oh congrats on the opportunity, btw! you're going to loooove it!

I couldn't find my birth cert. either. I had to go to the state birth and death records office to get a copy of it... kind of a hassle, but something you have to do... what state are you in?

laken1 · Hermes

I just researched this for my husband - here is the link I went to:

http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

Go to "how to get a passport" - you can enter your zip & it will tell you all of the places near you that do it, most of ours did their own pixs on site. I called the place nearest to us & asked questions & they were really helpful.

HTH.

jah · Dooney & Bourke

You just need your Birth certificate, photos and $ (The passport fee is $55. The security surcharge is $12. The execution fee is $30. The total is $97.). They do say six weeks, but it takes less time than that. I applied around Christmas a few years ago (historically one of the longest processing times and got mine in 17 days). So, you are definitely fine going the way of the regular passport...no need to expedite as that costs more money.

In terms of the Birth Certificate, my mother couldn't find mine either (just the hospital one, she actually overnighted it to me and it was the wrong thing). Anyway, just go to your state office of vital records. Here is the link for the Arizona one (not sure if you were born there - you need to go to the state you were born if Arizona is not it).

http://www.azdhs.gov/vitalrcd/birth_index.htm

It doesn't take long to get a certified copy, so not to worry.

Edited to add: Photos can be quickly taken at kinkos - did mine at midnight one night...Make sure you have at least two of the same pics for your application. Also, you are not supposed to smile in your passport photo. It is harder for face recognition software to work when people are smiling, so they ask that you not do so. You can smile though, they will still accept it.

and CONGRATS. You will love Europe and have so much fun!

-- Edited by jah at 23:45, 2006-04-04

halleybird · Hermes

I just want you all to know that The Great Birth Certificate Mystery of 2006 has been solved. This involved several hours of my mom and me yelling at each other, because she thinks I accuse her of losing stuff (this is true, admittedly. but not in this case).. My stepmom had it all along, though. So I found it. And I learned that asking my mom to look up records at the end of her workday is not smart.

Elle · Hermes

Okay I am way late to this party but .....

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! A FREE TRIP TO EUROPE!

FWIW, I would also bring your marriage certificate to prove the name change - I had to bring my adoption certificate to prove mine .

Chic · Marc Jacobs

I just got back from getting mine.

The total cost was $202. I went to our post office. I had to pay to send it $14.40, pay to have them send it back to me $14.40, pay for my picture $15, pay for the passport $97, pay the expedite fee $60.

They say 6 weeks, but if you are worried then I would pay the extra fee.

I am pretty sure that internationally they will only take a passport. I do know that your birth certificate needs to have the raised seal, and I would definitely take something legal about your name change. I just used my birth certificate and Drivers License.

You can also get your picture taken at Kinko's.