All Aboard for the Best About Cruising!

If you have dreams about taking that dream vacation abroad, one of your first steps should be to get a passport. Need to know how to get a passport for that dream vacation? With some preparation and a little effort, the process should not be too frustrating or complicated.

You can download a passport application from the United States State Department website. You can also obtain one from a local post office. The form you are obtaining is a DS-11. When filling it out, read the directions and follow them properly and exactly. Make certain to have the completed form with you when applying for the passport.

Next, you will need documents that prove your United States citizenship. You are required to obtain a certified official birth certificate from the city, county or state of your birth. This should not be a copy. The certified certificate of birth remains the most accepted proof of U.S. citizenship.

If you have problems obtaining a certified copy of a birth certificate, you will have more difficulty applying for a passport. You will need to obtain a letter of no record. You can get this from your birth state. This letter of no record states that there isn’t a birth certificate on file for you. Other records you can obtain include baptismal records, hospital records, hospital birth certificate and early school records. An older blood relative can sign an affidavit of birth form. This form needs to be notarized and signed.

If you were born in a foreign nation to one or two United States parents, you need to get a foreign certificate of birth. It would help to also get proof of U.S. Citizenship for your parents. Your parents can also sign an affidavit which lists the places they have resided for different time periods prior to and after your birth. The next step to take in getting a new passport is to prove your identity. This can be proven by bringing with you an old passport, a valid state drivers license, a government ID card, or a military ID card.

Your next step is to get two photos taken. Take the photos in normal clothing. Do not wear anything on your head or a uniform. Check your local yellow pages as many places take passport photos. The photos should be identical, in color and full face. Though most merchants know the proper requirements, you should also know the requirements to make certain they are done correctly. You do not want them taken incorrectly as this will make the process take longer.

You should also have your social security number. Find out the application fees and any surcharges so you know in advance the total cost. Once you have all this you should be ready to get a new passport.

Do an online search to locate the closest passport acceptance facility. There are over 7000 facilities across the country. They include courts, post offices, public libraries and many county offices. Also do a search for the government pages that will instruct you on how to get a U.S. passport. Subsequent to following exactly all the necessary steps, your new USA passport should arrive sometime between fourteen days to two months. If you want to get it in less time, you can spend $60 or more to get it rushed out to you. Once you have your passport, you can pack your bags and go explore the world!

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This entry was posted on Thursday, May 6th, 2010 at 11:28 am and is filed under Cruise Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.