Saturday, March 24, 2012

Can I Apply?

Where to Apply for a Passport in the United States?
Al Anthony Gablinez
A US passport i
s the most important document that is required if you want to make frequent international trips. The first and the most important thing that you should do as soon as you become a US citizen is to apply for passport. This is because only US citizens have the privilege of holding US passports.

All you need to do is complete the passport application, attach all the needed documentation for proof and submit it at the any Passport Acceptance Facility. You have the choice of getting your passport through routine or expedited service based on your travel plans.

Apply for passport in an easy way - Information regarding as to where to apply for passport is provided by the US Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Passport Services/Customer Service. This has designated many post offices, clerks of court, public libraries and other state, county, township, and municipal government offices with the authority to receive passport applications on its own behalf. Since there are many Passport Acceptance facilities in the US, you need to find the one that is nearest to your place of residence. Just follow these steps and you will be able find out the nearest location within a short time. 1. Log on to the US Department of State's Passport Acceptance Facility Search Page, 2, Search using your zip code, state or city, 3 once you enter your search option, you will be directed to a page that has a list of all the facilities that are in your area along with details like whether it accessible for handicapped people, it has photo on-site or nearby, you can select the one that is nearest you by clicking on that specific facility's name.

For Expedited requirements - In case you have to travel within a short notice, say, within 14 days you need a passport to get a foreign visa; then you are eligible to make an appointment with any Passport Agency and request an expedited service. You may be required to furnish proof of your travel along with the itinerary at some passport agencies. The following Regional Passport Agencies do not require you to provide them with your travel plans when you apply for passport - Arkansas, Buffalo, Colorado, Detroit, El Paso, Honolulu, Minneapolis, San Diego, Seattle and Vermont.

For Emergencies - For life threatening situations or life/death emergencies that require you to travel immediately, a special service called the Will call service can be used.

The above mentioned details are applicable only if you are planning to apply for passport when you are in the US. In case you are outside the US, you need to go to the respective US Embassy or Consulate and act according to their instructions. This is because the process may vary from Embassy to Embassy. Now that you have found out the nearest location to apply for passport, completing the application process is the next step.

Passport Day of in the US - March 10 has been marked as the Passport Day in the US. You may wonder as to what is so special about this day. You can apply for passport without having made a prior appointment. Just go to a Regional Passport Agency in the US on this day, which falls on a Saturday, and file in your application. You can opt for the standard routine service or go for the expedited processing on this day. So if you are still without a US passport, this is your day!

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