Getting a passport is not the rare occurrence that it used to be.
Today, more and more people are using them on a regular basis because
of the different law changes that went into effect. Anyone asking "How
long does it take to get a passport?" would do well to educate
themselves on the whole process to make sure that they don't get caught
without the proper documents during travel.
People are now getting passports like never before. Ever since the rumors of the new laws started to get circulated, the general public started to wise up a little bit in regards to getting a passport just for the sake of having one. It is never a bad thing to have the documentation and because of the long wait, it was safer to have it sitting in the drawer.
Before the process even starts, the applicant needs to make sure that they have what they can in order to expedite the process. A current passport photo is a must as well as a valid, government issued ID and proof of citizenship. If all of these items are together, it can make the early part of the process that much quicker.
When everything is together, it is time to head to a passport office to start the application process. In the United States, local post offices are the primary sources to get a passport application. While not every post office processes passport applications, many of them have this ability. It is best to check the USPS website for exact locations that offer this service.
Once the application is filled out and accepted at the processing office, it is just a matter of waiting out the processing time. There are plenty of horror stories about how long this takes and they are all justified as the wait time in the old days was horrific. Travelers were known to miss trips because they couldn't get their passport in time for the travel dates.
Today, the whole process is more efficient and worry free. Anyone that wants to go through normal channels can expect to get their passport in about two months. If that seems excessive, compare it to waiting over six months before these new laws went into effect. The entire process is much more efficient now.
If that time frame still does not work, there is actually an expedited service that is offered for $60. Anyone using this service will have their passport back to them in about two or three weeks. If this is still not quick enough, there are other services that cost a bit more, but the passport application literally gets pushed to the front of the pile.
People are now getting passports like never before. Ever since the rumors of the new laws started to get circulated, the general public started to wise up a little bit in regards to getting a passport just for the sake of having one. It is never a bad thing to have the documentation and because of the long wait, it was safer to have it sitting in the drawer.
Before the process even starts, the applicant needs to make sure that they have what they can in order to expedite the process. A current passport photo is a must as well as a valid, government issued ID and proof of citizenship. If all of these items are together, it can make the early part of the process that much quicker.
When everything is together, it is time to head to a passport office to start the application process. In the United States, local post offices are the primary sources to get a passport application. While not every post office processes passport applications, many of them have this ability. It is best to check the USPS website for exact locations that offer this service.
Once the application is filled out and accepted at the processing office, it is just a matter of waiting out the processing time. There are plenty of horror stories about how long this takes and they are all justified as the wait time in the old days was horrific. Travelers were known to miss trips because they couldn't get their passport in time for the travel dates.
Today, the whole process is more efficient and worry free. Anyone that wants to go through normal channels can expect to get their passport in about two months. If that seems excessive, compare it to waiting over six months before these new laws went into effect. The entire process is much more efficient now.
If that time frame still does not work, there is actually an expedited service that is offered for $60. Anyone using this service will have their passport back to them in about two or three weeks. If this is still not quick enough, there are other services that cost a bit more, but the passport application literally gets pushed to the front of the pile.
What is the time to get a passport?
The truthful answer is that it all depends on what method is chosen. It
can be as quick as a week and as long as two months, it is all about
how much the applicant wants to pay for quick service. However, why not
just head over to the local passport office now and get the process rolling so you have the passport in place just in case it is ever needed.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ben_Pate
