subject: Requirements For Getting Your Usa Passport [print this page] Anyone interested in traveling to another country must have a passport. One cannot enter or leave any country without one. When getting your passport application, it will be necessary to give one's name, sex, date and place of birth (which includes country), social security number and two current pictures. The ordinary passport is good for a period of ten years. If one needs to renew a passport, they can fill in a form on the Internet and print it out. They then must mail the form, two pictures, their old passport and the fee to the National Passport Processing Center in Philadelphia.
There are a number of passports that are issued depending on the type required. Mainly they are Ordinary, Official, Diplomatic, Emergency, Collective, and Family. The Ordinary passport, also called Tourist or Regular, is the one most citizens carry. The others involve particular circumstances and each has its own special coverage. The highest year for the issuance of passports was 2007 when over eighteen million United States passports were issued.
For a family going on vacation, the passport most requested is the Family passport. This passport is issued to the head of the family with the other members' names attached. This means that no one except the person whose name is listed can use it. The other family members cannot use the passport by themselves. This is a good safeguard for protection of the children, keeping them from wandering off or having problems.
Many times groups of adults or children will go together on tours, mercy projects, or other types of outings. For them the Collective getting your USA passport is excellent. It is in the name of the head of the group and provides a good method of keeping the group together safely. No one except the person with the name on the passport can use it.
Due to the increase in travel there has been a great demand for passports the past few years. As a result the government has sped up the processing methods and the passport can be obtained much faster. As the result of safety concerns there has been an increase in the scrutiny of all applications. Applications for passports can be made at post offices, most county recorder offices and the Internet. Emergency passports can be obtained the same day or within twenty-four hours on an emergency basis.
When one is going to stay in a country for an extended length of time, such as a student or overseas worker, they must have a Visa. This Visa is issued by the country being visited to allow the person to stay for an extended time. They must also have a passport in their possession to show their country of origin. The Visa does not take the place of a passport.
Recognizing the problems that Americans run into overseas, the State Department has established a special section to give assistance. It is called the Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management (ACS). In coordination with the American consulates and embassies, they provide various emergency services for American citizens.
