Whether you are in need of a passport for fun travel reasons, or you just want the ability to travel internationally if ever given the chance, here are some tips to make the process as seamless as possible, giving you the confidence that you have all your ducks in a row.
Where to Get a Passport in Denver
Visit the State Department Website
All travelers must have a passport if you leave the country, including young children. Thankfully, the State Department website makes it very easy to understand what you need to do to apply for a new passport, renew an old one, or get a child a passport. There are options to rush the process if you’re in a hurry, but to help alleviate unnecessary stress and avoid extra cost, if you are planning your trip well in advance, make this the first thing you do so you can rest easy. Sometimes the longest step is getting an appointment at an application acceptance facility (often times a post office) to submit your application, so be sure to look into that as soon as you know you’re traveling. The good news is that once you’re at your appointment, the process is quick and easy!
Mom Tip
If you are in a blended family or divorce situation, be aware that both parents must agree for a child to have a passport. If both parents cannot be at the application appointment, there is extra paperwork that must be submitted. Again, these details are explained on the State Department website.
Required Paperwork
The State Department website has a convenient online form that you can fill out right online and then print (single-sided printouts only!) or you can print one out and fill it in by hand.
You will also need to prove your citizenship to get a US Passport. This is usually a birth certificate, but sometimes may be a Consular Report of Birth Abroad or a Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship if you have gained your citizenship after birth. No matter which paperwork you use, gathering all of this up will ensure that everything runs smoothly once you begin the process. Make a photocopy of everything you will bring to your appointment.
Additionally, you will need a photo ID. The State Department recommends that if you are applying for a passport in a state different from your ID that you bring a second form of ID.
Other Items Needed
In addition to the paperwork, you will need to have photos of yourself to attach to your application. Passport photos are very specific so you should go to a facility that is specifically taking passport photos. Walgreens and CVS stores provide passport photo services for a small fee, and you can also book an appointment “plus photo” at some of the application acceptance facilities. If you get your photos ahead of time, you will likely increase your chances of getting an appointment at an application acceptance facility sooner (since not all appointments include photo service time).
There is also a fee associated with applying for a passport. The application acceptance facility will charge a $35 fee but you will also owe the government a fee. If you are wanting a passport book (for all those stamps from other countries) you will owe $130 but if you just want a passport card, it is $30. More details on how to pay these fees and extra fees such as rushing your passport can be found on the State Department’s website.
Passport Card or Passport Book?
Many people don’t even know that there are two options, or what the difference is. The card and the book are both proof of citizenship and valid for the same length of time, but the card is a wallet-sized, plastic card with no pages for stamps. This page of the State Department website will help you decide which is right for you. In a nutshell, if you will be traveling internationally by air, then you need the passport book. A passport card is only for international travel by land or sea – for example, Mexico, Canada and some Caribbean islands (think, cruise).
Application Appointments
Now that you have all of your necessary documents pulled out of hiding and have reviewed the requirements for paperwork, gotten your photos and have your money ready, you will take everything to an application acceptance facility. Often times this is a post office, but it could also be a city or county government building. If you go to this page of the State Department’s website, they have a tool where you can input your zip code and find your facility options within a certain mileage range from where you live. Checking multiple locations will increase your chances of getting an appointment without waiting too long.
Mom Tip
After reading this guide, I would do this step first because often times it is several weeks or months before you can get an appointment near you.
After you have completed all of these necessary steps, you simply wait for your new passport to arrive in the mail. Be sure you are familiar with how long processing times are currently running so that you allow enough time to make your appointment and wait for your passport to actually arrive!
