Passports
 

What has been your experience in obtaining a passport. How long did it take.

The last time I got mine, it was 3 weeks, but it's all over the board. Go get it waaaaaaaaay early.

Good thread. I think we're going to Europe later in the year, so I'll need one, too.

Couple of months, I think, but it's been awhile. That's for a renewal, so I don't know about getting a new one.

It might've been a little less than that.

I remember that it arrived well within the promised timeframe, somewhere around 75% or less of the maximum amount of time they said it would take, so I was pleased. I've forgotten whether I paid for the expedited service.

Best advice is to just go ahead and file the application well ahead of when you need the passport. That way, you can avoid the stress and expense of having to speed up the process.

Apply way early, and use an Arabic name.

My wife renewed hers last year, and I recall it taking about 1.5 months.

Agreed. If you don't have a passport you should get one. When you decide to travel, you may have to mail your passport off to get a visa, and that can take some time. If you have to get the passport first and then get one or more visas, it can be quite the process and can screw up your schedule. It's a really bad feeling to be two weeks from your flight and you still don't have a passport and visa in your hands.

I think they should ban passports, you could bring something scary back.

I got mine within a couple of weeks, but went the expedited route due to time constraints... not really relevant to the thread I guess, since you know, it costs money.

I had mine get "lost" in the mail along with my birth certificate when they mailed it. Soon enough after 9/11 that it was a giant headache. It was recommended to me after the fact that I should of obtained a certified copy of my birth certificate and sent that as opposed to my original copy. A rarity for sure, but something to think about.

My wife had to get a new one last year. She expedited the process and it took less than two weeks. It's obviously significantly more expensive, but it works quickly. Smart move is to plan ahead and allow for an extra month in the case of backlogs.

there is a passport station in Chicago. no need to wait at all for you good sir. just a 40 minute drive.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/npi...ncies_905.html

Go to the post office and find out every thing you need to bring. They can be picky and sticklers about things. I got mine to go to Mexico & it seemed like a big hassle and took several weeks proccess. It's a proccess.

I got mine last March and it took about 3 weeks. Call ahead to the post office and ask them in particular what you need and if you need an appointment. I was lazy and had them take my picture.

Looks like I have to drive to lawrence if I want them to take my picture too. Where can I get a picture taken if I don't want to goto Lawrence?

Took me about 2 weeks with an expedited shipping option. Wife requested one about the same time using standard shipping, took about 3 weeks.

what is teh difference between a passport and a visa and how do you know if you need a visa?

You can actually print a digital picture now and use that. Actually, I used that for mine like eight years ago.

any drug store... walgreens or CVS have passport photo options

I think most Walgreen's take them.

Where are you goin?

With most countries we are friends with and around us (and including Europe) you don't need a tourist Visa. For some countries though you need to apply for a tourist visa which embassies agree on and allows you to stay in the country for a certain period. Japan is a notable one, mostly because the visa covers an entire page of your passport and it fills up quick.

I sent my application using all routine processing in September last year. I had my new passport back in 16 calendar days.

A couple of years ago when I went to Peru I got denied access to board because my dumbass left my passport in my jeans and it got damaged in the wash. It was still readable but the guy at the ticket counter said I would be denied entry into Peru if I tried to give them my damaged passport. Luckily the federal building in Dallas processes passports same day. My flight was on a Sunday, the ticket agent booked me for no charge a flight Monday night.
Monday morning I show up bright and early to the federal building and had to pay $250 to get my passport done. I literally had a friend drive me straight from the federal building to the airport for my trip. If I didn't live in a city where passports were processed I would have been screwed and not able to make the trip.

I just got mine a week ago, it took less than a month.

I'm black so they suspected me of lying about my certificates and never got one.

Do you mean a real passport or the illegal one?

You can do the application online and print off what you will need to take to the post office. This site will tell you what you need. It is really easy and quick. Don't just walk into the post offices out of nowhere. We did ours a few months ago and it was super easy.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

took about an hour at the Houston passport office. Really efficient and painless process to do it in person.

Got mine a couple yrs ago. Took roughly 2 months.

I told you not to submit a picture of an Asian woman on the application.

My voice is my passport.

Was looking into a Sandals resort in Montego Bay but seems to be a pipe dream now. The Airtran A+ rewards credits don't work as well for going there and we can't find any options for just a 4 night getaway that allows us to use the tickets.

looks like we are back to going to Vegas again. Kind of disappointed.

Bummer on the Jamaica thing. Any vacation is a good vacation, though.

Anyone ever send in their passport to get extra pages added? I need to do that and I'm not sure how long it takes...

Are the illegal ones cheaper?

Got mine a few years ago, was suppose to take a few months.. Got it in 3 weeks without paying extra..

Yeah, the wife is kind of upset with me for even bringing it up now. Had I known my rewards miles would have been limited on travel to Jamaica I wouldn't have even mentioned it to her. Live and learn I guess.

I hate that Vegas is starting to sound like a secondary option.

You could take Airtrain to Orlando, and then American to Montego Bay.. depending on price of course.

Can you fly to a coastal place and then cruise there? I've used this site before and it's legit. They have some pretty good prices on cruises that stop in Jamaica. http://www.vacationstogo.com/ticker.cfm

nah, the whole point was to be able to fly free. We still have a limited budget to deal with and spending $2000 on staying at Sandals was pretty much the whole budget.

We just have to stick to US cities for this little getaway. I also think I will transfer all these airtran rewards over to southwest because there are not travel blocks on southwest.

Get it a hell of a lot earlier than needed, mine took a month. I wasn't going anywhere in particular, I just wanted one and they are good for 10 years.

They aren't that expensive, almost everyone ought to have one, and they work perfectly fine as ID. Its a lot more convenient to hand that over to TSA in the airport than to dig your DL out of your wallet, and they look kinda cool, too.

The base price for a 7-day cruise starts around $800 for two people in an inside cabin. Assume that you'll add another 40% for miscellaneous cruise stuff, so that'll be about $1,100. Fly for free to the launch city.

http://www.vacationstogo.com/fastdeal.cfm?deal=23211

http://www.vacationstogo.com/fastdeal.cfm?deal=21172

Go to that site I mentioned, and do the advanced search for ships that stop at Montego Bay.

A visa goes on a passport, on one of the blank pages. Some nations do not require a visa, but they all require at least a passport.

If I remember right, they tightened the rules where you need a passport to get back into the country any time you leave now, right? So if you go to the Caribbean for the day and lose your passport, you're doomed to a life of wandering the earth, eating only what you find in third-world trash cans or on third-world beaches.

Thats better than being stuck in the airport terminal forever like in that one movie.

thanks for the links. i'll keep an eye on that site.

Doesn't Wallgreens have a passport photo service? I got my picture done there, I think and got a nice little travel kit to go with it too. They developed the picture while I waited.

Most sites offer the same fares. They aren't allowed to undercut the fares by that much - the differences are in the bonuses. Go for fares with included gratuities.

kinkos

Airtran goes to Cancun don't they?

Doesn't matter. Airtran international flights are an entirely different ballgame when it comes to rewards credits redemption.

If you really want to have fun go and get a TWIC card.

Lot's of nice Homeland Security background checks.

Yes they have a "passport" camera.

It has to be a certain size or the Post Office won't take it.

Are u a spy?......do you go by "Hillis"?

Someone should warn France.

Holy shit! That must have been one hell of a stress-filled day.
Great story.

It took me 15 minutes and they let me smile.

Go to Turks and Caicos. It is actually pretty cheap and Grace Bay in Providenciales beach is always voted the best beach in the world.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travelers...estinations-g1

Everything is within ten minutes of the beach so you can just use the bikes that are available in all the hotels. We are going for 5 days 6 nights, including airfare, for $2,500. We are staying at Sands at Grace Bay.

http://www.hotels.com/mobile/hotelDe...e_newest_first

Yeah and I was told that day that there was no guarantee that I would get my passport done in time. My dream trip that took months and months of planning, almost went to shit because I was too lazy too empty my pockets before washing a pair of jeans.

screw it. We are going for it. Decided to just use half of my reward credits and pay the other half. Deal is just too good to pass up at this point.

Oh, and my wife is VERY happy.

Your mission, if you chose to accept it, is to get your passport before this thread leaves the front page.

tempting

Oh this is fun. Can't find my wifes birth certificate so we have to order it from another state which can take up to 8 weeks. Just can't win.

5 days for my first passport in 05. I got sent out of the country to a different country Nevis BVI, and was a last minute thing. I got the paperwork from Post Office then overnighted it to a company they turned it in 3 days and sent it back. At that time the regular method took 3 months

:LOL:

Scanners rep

I got my first passport expedited to same day for an additional $50 dollars back in 1993. I made an appointment for renewal at the Federal building in 2003 and there was no expedited charge.

As many have said, you can get a passport photo nearly everywhere. Also, if you plan to drive in a foreign country, it's wise to get an International Driver's License, which you can obtain at your local AAA office.

Thanks, but it's Sneakers. :)

we are not going until June so I am not too worried about my passport. I start the process tomorrow and already have my paperwork filled out and ready to go. Just need to get my picture.

On the other hand, my wifes is going to be a problem. We have to order her birth certificate from Virginia and it could take two months.

Awesome. Congrats, and I suspect you won't regret it.

Even if it takes eight weeks, you have plenty of time to apply for and receive it. Good luck!

Well if you have to go alone those are the breaks.

I'm on my 3rd passport and the longest I waited was between 2-3 weeks. One of the few things our government does quickly. If you are worried about time, go for the expedited service.

LMAO

PARTY!!!!

Do any of you purchase trip insurance for your travel? Sandals offers it for $99 each which seems kind of high to me.

LMAO I know, I know. But seriously. I couldn't get my original birth certificate so I got a copy from the city records and that apparently made the lady who was reviewing my junk to think I wasn't who I said I was and denied me my passport. I was like WTF?

I never do. Also, as a return Sandals guest, I can say that experience can be had for much less $$$ at other adult only AI's. Not having or even liking kids, my wife and I are good for at least 1 adult only AI trip a year.