A Word about Passports

[TootyJane]

I know a lot of people purchased passports (as did I) before the price increase. What you should do when you receive it is to sign it immediately. It is considered "not valid" until you do so. Make a couple of copies. Take a copy with you when you travel keeping it separate from your passport (just as you do with traveler's checks and those receipts) and keep the other copy at home with a friend or relative. If your passport and/or your luggage is stolen you will have a copy with you or if you needed to get the copy from your friend or relative it could be easily faxed. HTH.

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Very good suggestions.

Another good suggestion that I've picked up on this board is to scan your passport (and any other document you might be in a bind to replace if went missing), and email the scan to a Yahoo!Mail account. That way you'd be able to get a reasonable facsimile anywhere in the world there's Internet access.

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

According to some attorney type folks I know copying is a good idea but don't do it on a color copier. (I saw this as one of the no no items on the copier last week too!) I'm not sure if scanning would be considered a color copy or not....anyone know for sure?

Deb

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Most scanning programs have an option that allow you to scan the image in grey-scale. It might be a good idea to select this option just to be on the "safe and legal" side.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

We got our passports on Aug. 16--how soon should we be receiving them??
Robin M.

 

[TootyJane]

Robin,
We went on Aug. 9 to our local community center rather than the post office. We submitted applications but they couldn't take two oldest ds's since the birth certificates I had were "Abstracts." So they process remaining three. On Aug. 12, after obtained original birth certificates,, I submitted the other two applications. It will all depend on which processing center the applications go to. My oldest two got their passports (from L.A.) on August 26 (2 weeks after submission). We received the remaining three passports (from South Carolina) on Sept. 3 (about 3-1/2 weeks after submission). HTH

 

[CarolAnnC]

Ours came in the mail in July less than 3 weeks after we applied at our local Post Office.

I would imagine there was a deluge of applicants however, once the impending price increase was announced. That could account for a longer than normal wait, I would think.

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Keep in mind that the location where you can file a passport application varies by region. In some areas you can do it at some (but not all) post offices. In other areas you go to your city or county registrar's office. To avoid confusion, follow this link and find out for yourself where your nearest passport application office is located...

<a href="http://iafdb.travel.state.gov"><font color=blue>iafdb.travel.state.gov</font></a>

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

We're on the west coast of Michigan so our applications only have to go to Chicago. When we filed the week before the price increase we were told 6-8 weeks.

Deb

 

[peg2001]

What about signing children's passports - do you leave it blank, sign as a parent for the child, or let the tyke scrawl their name to the best of their ability?

Peg

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

A lot depends on their age and if I recall properly we had instructions on this when our children first received their passports. DD was 7 going on 8 and I signed with notation as mother. DS was 10 and he signed his own. Just renewed and they are both to sign their own now.

Deb

 

[Wonderwoman1982]

I have the SAME question about childrens passports. My 7 yr. old can write her own name, but not in cursive... We received NO instructions about who is to sign the kiddo's passports. Anyone who REALLY knows for SURE the answer to that one?? ALSO, we received our passports in NINE days after we applied for them, but they only went to Houston, and that is 5 hours away from D/FW where I live.. We also applied AT the passport office at the district clerks office. NO wait to apply, and got them FAST. The Post office is ALWAYS too busy around here..

 

[TootyJane]

We received absolutely nothing about how my two youngest should sign their passports or whether I would sign on their behalf as I did on their applications. I called the Community Center where I submitted the applications. The answer they gave me was that it was up to me. (1) They could sign their own passport even if they didn't know how to sign in cursive. They can still print their name and it is considered a signature; or (2) I could sign their name for them -- not putting By: (name), Mother.
BTW, my 10yo signed his own (in cursive); my (7yo) signed his own (printed his signature). Remember a passport for a child 15 and under is 5 years. HTH

 

[Rock'n Robin]

Just got our passports today--and also no instruction on signing, just the passports and the birth certificates. I plan on having both DDs sign their own next June--and I'll sign for DS, just putting "by (my name), mother' next to it--he'll only be 5 then. Hopefully both girls will have better handwriting. For now, they are going into my little home safe with their SS# cards and the birth certs.
Robin M.