| Are you considering going on a family vacation | | | | credit cards. |
| overseas, but are unsure of what passports cost, or | | | | It's easy to apply for a passport. You can download |
| even what the procedure of getting one involves? | | | | the required forms from the official State |
| While there are still some countries that do not | | | | Department website. Fill them out, and then go have |
| require you to have a passport in order to enter, | | | | 2 photo id pictures taken at any authorized merchant. |
| most will all demand one for entry. Mexico and | | | | Walgreens, or Eckerd Drugs are just two places that |
| Canada are two that don't require a passport and will | | | | come to mind immediately. The cost will generally be |
| allow you to enter with a birth certificate, but having | | | | less than $10. Once you have your pictures, forms, |
| a passport will definitely make things much easier. All | | | | and payment funds, you can go to any passport |
| in all, a passports cost is worth your peace of mind | | | | payment processor and get everything completed. In |
| alone. If you've ever had the misfortune of being | | | | fact, you can go to your local post office and make |
| held up do to legal identification papers, you know | | | | the payment to them and then mail everything off. |
| what I mean. | | | | Don't forget to bring your birth certificate to show |
| OK, so what are we looking at for costs here? A | | | | proof of citizenship. |
| passport will actually have two different fees | | | | Once you have submitted everything to the State |
| associated with it. The first fee is the passport | | | | Department it will usually take from 4-6 weeks to |
| processing fee that the U.S. State Department | | | | get your passport sent to you. More or less time |
| charges. Currently, passports cost $97.00 for adults, | | | | depending on the time of the year. If you are in |
| and $82.00 for any child under 16 years old. They | | | | need of getting your passport quicker than that, |
| have recently went up due to adding a security | | | | there are services available that will expedite the |
| surcharge. | | | | process for a fee. Many times you can get your |
| The second fee is called the execution fee and it | | | | passport within a week for a fee of between |
| covers the cost of making the passport. The | | | | $60-$100. This fee is added to your passports cost. |
| processing fee and the security surcharge are paid to | | | | Once you get a passport, it's good for 10 years. As |
| the U.S. State Department. The execution fee is paid | | | | you can see, getting a passport is not that difficult |
| to the facility you are purchasing your passport from. | | | | and a passports cost is certainly not prohibitive. |
| You can pay with cash, checks, money orders, or | | | | |