Important Passport Information
Dear Friend,
As your member of Congress, I am proud to work hard every day to better serve our community. While you make your plans for the summer, I want to make sure you have important information about applying for a U.S. Passport to travel outside of the United States.
There are two options available when applying for a passport: the U.S. Passport Book or the U.S. Passport Card.
Passport Book: Used if you are traveling internationally by air, you must purchase the U.S. Passport Book. The Passport Book is valid for travel via air, sea or land.
Passport Card: Used only to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry.
FEES
If you are traveling via land or sea, the U.S. Passport Card is a more cost efficient approach. Currently, first time U.S. Passport Book applications are $135 for adults and $105 for minors, while U.S. Passport Cards are $55 for adults and $40 for minors. More information about passport fees can be found at the U.S. Department of State’s website.
APPLICATION
If you are a first time applicant, you must apply for your passport in person. You can do so by visiting your nearest passport Acceptance Facility. You can also apply to renew your passport at your local Acceptance Facility. However, passport renewals can also be done via U.S. mail by submitting the proper documents.
If you have international travel in less than 2 weeks or need to obtain a foreign visa within 4 weeks, you can schedule an appointment with the Philadelphia Passport Agency. If you have trouble scheduling an appointment, please contact my district office for assistance.
PROPER DOCUMENTS
It is important that you have acceptable evidence of U.S. Citizenship and present identification when applying for a U.S. Passport.
Please be advised that as of April 1, 2011, the U.S. Department of State requires the full names of the applicant's parents(s) to be listed on all certified birth certificates to be considered as primary evidence for all passport applicants. To apply for a new birth certificate, please visit the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s website by clicking on the following link: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/birth_certificates/14121.
PROCESSING TIMES
Before applying for a passport, please be sure to check the Department of State’s website for estimated processing times. Currently, they are processing routine applications in 4 to 6 weeks from the time the application is submitted, and 2 to 3 weeks for expedited applications.
As always, if you have questions about the passport application process or any other federal issue, or if you require my assistance in communicating with a federal agency, please do not hesitate to contact one of my district offices at (215) 517-6572 (Montgomery) or (215) 335-3355 (Philadelphia).