I am corn-fused about the passport thing. I know my son needs one.
It says on the web site that we both (husband, myself and son actually) need to fly up to SEA and make an appointment at the passport office, BUT another friend of mine said she got (sent away for)her son's passport at the downtown (NW) post office.
What is the deal-io?
Thank you all very much! Wow. What a relief! Yes, we are going to Mexico. A passport is now required for all souls to re-enter the U.S. Travel w/in the states is no big deal.
My husband and I already have ours (thank God! That would be QUITE the expense otherwise!). Good to know about the separate check thing..that was a juicy morsel! I doubt we would've even dusted off our checkbook and taken it.
The advice on going early on a Wed was also a tasty morsel! I loathe lines, yet I am the person that always seems to pick the longest, or gets a change in shift of cashiers, etc. Must be a patience lesson in there that I am not able to grasp yet, or some bored naughty angels exacting some personal ritualistic torture....arggh.
Oh how wonderful to have this forum. There is nothing like another woman when it comes to advice and explaining things! THANK YOU!!
Did you really say corn-fused? That's cute. Anyway, when I went to Mexico last year I went to my local post office and applied for a passport and it takes about six weeks to get, but I don't guess you have to drive to Seattle to the passport office!
We just had a Passport Fair today (4.21.07). They had all the info, photo op, applications etc all at our local PO for today only.
You might call your local PO and ask them if they will be having one. It certainly made it easier to have it all done in one place and at one time.
We applied for passports for our 4 1/2yo and our 13 month old daughters.
Make sure to get passport photos that meet the requirements (walmart does a good job for a good price), also make sure you have his birth certificate, and you can print out the application from the Gov passport website. Also both parents need to be there with proper ID. If one of the parents can't make it you need to have a notarized statement stating that that parent agrees to your child getting a passport. There's a $30 process fee which you pay to the post office and $52 for the actual passport for a total of $82. The passport for a child under 14 is good for 5 years.
They keep your birth certificate and mail it in with the app. You will get it back when you receive the passport in about 10 weeks.
Good luck and happy traveling!
It costs an additional amount but it is not necessary to fly up to SEA. I went to the Beaverton Town Hall, asked them to send away for it (an additional $40), then it was mailed directly to me. Piece of cake (wait time was around 6 weeks) Beaverton passport people were helpful but note the hours (only open for three hours a day from noon to 3)
Hope this helps
J.
I am taking a trip to CO in May. I have heard about all this passport junk...but I thought it was only if you were traveling out of the country? I did my homework....You only need a passport if you are leaving/entering the country. Here is the govt link I found about it. Hope this helps :)
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html
Jill, I filed our daughter's application at the post office. Both the parents (both of you) and the child have to go together to the post office. Otherwise the missing parent has to supply a notorized permission form allowing the other parent to apply for a passport for their minor child. You wouldn't have to go to Seattle unless you need some sort of of expidited passport. Otherwise take all the required documents and the passport picture to the post office. The website lists all the places in Portland and the hours they accept passport applications.
I'm pretty sure that you can do it at the main post office. You have to pick up the papers there anyway so I would ask then. You might call ahead because usually the passport office is only open certain days/times of the week.
I got mine for our daughter(15mo) at the downtown office. Just make sure all three of you go to file and have all appropriate paperwork.It does take a long time to get it though. D.
I got passports for both my 3-year old and 4-month old back in February of this year. You and your husband just need to go to the nearest agency that handles passports (in Medford OR we went to the court house but we could have also gone to the post office). To find out the nearest location to you, go to this website - http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/ No appointment is required, you just go and wait in line. I'd recommend going first thing when they open on a Wednesday (tends to be shorter lines).
Oh and one important thing they don't really specify online is that you have to have a separate check for each passport that will be made out to the US govt and then you'll need another check to pay the agency where you are getting the passports. They don't let you combine the payments even though all the applications are together.
Hope this info helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. We have taken our children with us to China, so we've also had to go through getting visas for all of us.
We live out in Gresham and we were able to go to the Gresham City Hall and get our daughter's with both my husband and myself present. My sister who lives out in Damascus was also able to get her children's passports there. The only reason you need to get it from Seattle is if you need it in a hurry. You should also be a be able to get it at the main post office in downtown. The hours for passports are shorter than the normal post office hours to make sure to check the times.
Hope this helps.
We just went to the Post office picked up the forms and then turned them in at the Gresham City hall.. but you can turn them in several places.. you just find out where to get the application and then, find out where to turn it in. I never had to fly anywhere.. to do passports for my two babies.. they were under 1 and 2 at the time.
One more thing, I didn't see it mentioned...Do not expedite unless you are in a great big hurry, 6-8 weeks. You can always pay the extra fee later if it is a week or 2 before your departure date...My daughter just went to Guatemala on a mission trip and it took 8 weeks to get.Thank God I put her departure date 4 days before her airline ticket. Hope you don't have to call them, they are swamped and it takes FOREVER to get through!!!!
God Luck
G.
You and your husband and your kiddo need to make it to any post office that has the passport thing. The employee will varify that you were both present. We got one for our son from a post office in Salem. If every parent needing a passport for their kid had to fly to SEA, NO ONE would get a passport! :-) Good luck.
