Get Your Passport Early: The High Cost of Applying Late
By: William Manor

The cost of obtaining a new passport is pretty high, even more so if you put it off. If you put off the application process until close to your departure date, you could find yourself spending an additional $300 or more to acquire your passport in time for your travels.

There are three fees to regularly process a new passport for anyone 16 years and older. There is a passport application fee of $55 and a security surcharge of $12, both of which are paid to the U.S. Department of State Passport Services. An execution fee of $30 is paid to the passport acceptance agent who witnesses the signing of your application.

Regular passport processing is done within six weeks. Passport Services does not offer a guarantee for this. Peak travel season and problems with your application are just a couple of things that can increase the time frame for getting your passport.

You can request that your passport application be expedited if you only have a couple of weeks before departure. There is an additional fee of $60 for this service. As with regular processing, this time frame is not guaranteed.

If you have less than two weeks before your trip, you have two options. One, you can make an appointment at one of only 14 passport agencies, travel to the agency's location and wait in hot, cramped lines to get your passport.

A second option is to use the service of a private passport expediter. Passport expediting services can get you your passport in as little as 24 hours. And this is guaranteed! You will pay from $59 to $149 or more for this service. Of course, you'll have the convenience of having someone else do the running around and waiting in lines and the certainty of receiving your travel document in time for your departure.

What is the cost of procrastinating to apply for your passport? You could be a few hundred dollars out of pocket per passport and increase the amount of pre-departure stress you face. You can avoid all this by applying early for your travel document. Apply at least three months before your departure date and use the money you save on a more enjoyable travel experience.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleJoe.com

Go to U.S. Passport Service Guide to learn how to expedite your passport and tips on getting visas to popular travel destinations.

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