When it comes to international travel, the passport is the first item that should be on the to-do list. However, many travelers do not realize that there are actually a variety of forms to choose from that depend on the situation that the applicant is trying to address. Special circumstances require that different pasport application forms are filled out. It is important to make sure that you indeed have the right ones.
For the regular business traveler this is going to be old hat. The challenges for getting a passport and making sure the right documents are in line usually comes from the casual traveler that is doing this for the first time. It is perfectly understandable how someone could get a little confused walking into a passport office with so many different forms available.
Anyone who needs the actual passport application forms has a few choices in order to be able to get them. The obvious outlet is to physically walk into a passport office and pick up the actual forms. However, the easiest way to get them is to download them directly off of the government website. There should also be complete instructions on what forms are needed for what situation and how to fill them out.
When the documents are filled out, it is important to note that there is always some type of supporting documentation that will be needed to have the application accepted. This is usually some form of current government issued ID and proof of citizenship. Most people will use their social security card, drivers license and birth certificate for this.
Some of the documents can be a little confusing in regards to exactly what information is needed on them. This is why they have complete instructions on the site on exactly what to do with the forms. There are also private companies that are available to help with this whole process. For those of us who hate filling out forms, their fee is more than worth it.
The turnaround time for the standard passport application is somewhere between 4 to 6 weeks for the average applicant. This being said, the private agencies may assist in speeding up this process as quickly as an overnight turnaround if necessary. This will aid greatly in assisting those that need a passport immediately for business or a family emergency that may need to be dealt with out of the country.
When everything has finally been gathered together, it is time to ship the forms and documents off. Wait! Do not forget to put in the passport photos or all of this hard work will be for nothing. The photos should be issued from a photographer that can size them appropriately (2’x2’) and they should be of a decent quality.
Once the American passport application is complete and the photos taken, it will all need to be shipped to the address provided. The suggested method for this will either be FedEx or UPS as they are both traceable and insured. There is personal information being transmitted here and the protection of the applicant is of the utmost concern to these providers. With this advice, hopefully you will see that getting a US passport isn’t that hard!