Everything You Need to Know about Passports
Apply at the Boston Globe Travel Show

Planning a trip? Need a passport? Changes to passport requirements in the past year, mandated by the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security, have left many travelers confused and anxious about the passport process. Chances are you may need a passport for the same trip you took last year without one. The following guide will help you prepare for a no-hassle vacation. Find out what you need, how to get it, and how to expedite the process.

Do you need a passport?
If you are traveling out of the country by air, including to Bermuda, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Canada, you need a passport and so do your children (even infants). If you’re traveling by land or sea, you’ll need either a passport or a driver’s license and birth certificate. Children age 18 and under will need to present a birth certificate or a passport.
Beginning this month, the U.S. State Department is accepting applications for the new passport card for land and sea travelers. (Air travelers will still need complete passports.) The passport card costs $45 and is designed to be more convenient for frequent travelers. For more information, go to www.travel.state.gov.

How to apply for a new passport.
If you attend the Boston Globe Travel Show at the Seaport World Trade Center on Saturday, or Sunday, February 23-24, you’re in luck. The United States Postal Service will be accepting applications at the show and there will be a photo service available for you to have passport photos taken.

If you don’t apply for a passport at the show, you can apply in person at one of the 9,000 accepted passport facilities around the country (many post offices can process passport documents). To find an office near you, go to www.travel.state.gov, and a link from there will allow you to enter your zip code for a list of locations in your area.
Either way, you’ll have to fill out an application (form DS-11), which will be available at the show, and provide several supporting documents (see sidebar). Each passport costs $97 and takes four to six weeks to process. Be sure to double check your application and make sure it is signed. About 13 percent of all passports are delayed by simple application errors.

If you need passports for your children, both parents have to appear in person to sign the application (with the children). Otherwise, you need a notarized signature from the absent parent. The appropriate forms are at www.travel.state.gov. The fee for children under 16 is $82. Remember, if your last name is different from your child’s, be sure that you carry a birth certificate as well. Some airlines, wary of child abductions, will want proof of parenthood when taking a child out of the country.

Is it time to renew?
Check the validity date on your passport. If it expires within six months, you may be better off renewing now. Some countries do not accept passports if they are valid for only six months or fewer.
 
You can renew your passport either at the show or by mail. The renewal application form (DS-82) is available at the show or you can download it from www.travel.state.gov. If your passport is more than 15 years old or it is damaged, you’ll have to renew in person.

What if you need your passport in a hurry?
If you are willing to pay an extra $60 and the expense of courier costs, you can have your passports in three weeks. Be sure to write “expedite” on the outside of your package.

If you are traveling within 14 days, contact the Boston Passport Agency at 877-487-2778. You have to make an appointment and go in person to the Tip O'Neill Federal Building at 10 Causeway St. in Boston. You will need proof of your departure date, but you can get a passport from the agency in time for your trip.
 
If you are still worried about the timing, there are also private expediting services that, for a fee, will help you sort through the passport process. These agencies have contracts with the State Department to issue a set amount of expedited passports each day. Many offer money-back guarantees. You’ll be charged anywhere from $65 to $145 plus the price of the passport, depending on how quickly you need it (some have same-day processing). The National Association of Passports and Visa Services website, www.napvs.org, provides more information, including a list of agencies.
 

Don’t Forget These Documents
Here’s what you’ll need to bring with you and/or can pick up if you want to apply for a passport at the Boston Globe Travel Show:

• Passport application (form DS-11), available at the show

• Proof of U.S. citizenship, which requires one of the following documents:
  - certified U.S. birth certificate
  - previous U.S. passport
  - certificate of naturalization or citizenship

• Proof of identity, which requires one of the following:
  - current valid driver’s license
  - government ID
  - military ID

You will also need two identical photos, 2”x2” inches in size. You can have these photos taken at the show.
Click Here for Passport fee information.