Carelessness is
number one reason for a passport application being rejected or delayed or for a passport being lost, stolen, or damaged. What steps are necessary to prevent these things from happening? How can you take care of your passport? Below are 16 practical tips you can follow to acquire your passport, keep it in your possession, and preserve it in good condition.
Before You Leave On Your Trip
1. Check to see if you even need a passport.
Countries can, and often do, change foreign entry requirements. If you arrive at
airport without
required documents, you'll be denied boarding privileges. And, of course, this isn't covered by travel insurance.
Currently, more than 80% of
world's countries require a valid passport for entrance. It's important to verify
foreign entry requirements for
country you plan to visit as early as possible.
2. Apply for your passport early.
You should apply for a new passport at least 90 days before your departure date. For a renewal, begin
process 8 to 11 months before your passport expires. Why so early? Many countries require that your passport have six to eight months of validity remaining before they will issue a visa.
3. Fill out
correct form correctly.
Each type of passport service has specific criteria that must be met. Make sure you get
right application form, and then fill it in carefully. Double-check each entry. Ask a friend or relative to verify it as well. Errors made on
application form can lead to delays or, even, rejection of your passport request.
4. Follow
specifications for
required documents exactly.
When applying for a new passport,
most frequently used documents are a certified birth certificate for proof of citizenship along with a valid driver's license for proof of identity.
Your birth certificate must be a certified copy with a registrar's raised, embossed, impressed, or multicolored seal, registrar's signature, and
date
certificate was filed with
registrar's office, which must be within 1 year of your birth. No photocopies are accepted. Your driver's license must be more than six months old.
For a passport renewal, your previous passport serves as both proof of citizenship and proof of identity. To be valid, it cannot be mutilated, altered, or damaged in any way.
You must send two identical passport photos taken within
last 6 months. These passport photos must be 2"x2" with a plain white or off-white background. They have to be a full-face view with
head being from 1 to 1 3/8 inches from
chin to
top of
head. The photos can be either color or black and white.
5. Sign both
passport application form and your check.
Surprisingly, many people forget to sign either
passport application form or their check to Passport Services. Once again, check everything twice, or even three times.
6. Request additional pages.
Are you a frequent flyer? Request a 48-page passport (at no additional cost). It will allow you to travel more before having to replace it.
7. Sign your passport and fill out
emergency information.
When your passport arrives, check to see that all
information contained in it is correct. If it is, sign it and fill in your current address and
name of a person to contact in case of emergency. If not, return it to
State Department for correction.