Are passports for 2006 now definitely required?

[chrisn]

DH already had one because he was working in the Middle East for a year a a half but DS-7, DD-17 and I needed ours for the BVI's next year. Both DH and I had to be there to sign for our 7 year old. Make sure you take your completed applications, passport photos, certified birth certificates (these go to the passport agency and are sent back with the passports), driver's license/ID and application fees. Glad I did it now instead of waiting.

 

[jgalecpa]

While the price of the passport is steep, if we have an average of six months to save for a passport (180 days), then the $97 fee works out to saving only 54 cents per day per person.

For $2.08/day, you can save enough for four passports in only six months!

Jim

 

[Corryn]

I predict a major disaster for the travel industry at the end of the year. They are going to have thousands of angry travelers who didn't realize the rules had changed, and/or passport offices will be so inundated that they won't be able to keep up.
It will be pandemonium at the borders and in cruise terminals.

Believe it or not, there are MANY people who do not read: Newspapers, magazines, books, The DISBoards, go on the internet, etc. These same people do not watch television news either. I teach adults at a college (these are smart adults, too!), and in the morning before starting class, some of us discuss current events and sometimes more than half the class will have no clue what we're talking about. This isn't only recent classes, this has been going on for years.

So if the population who enrolls in my class is an indication of the general public, I can see MANY MANY travelers not being prepared. Maybe the government should air public service announcements on television (during Prime Time, of course) and on the radio to spread the news. Not everyone who travels uses a travel agent; a lot of people make their own arrangements.
You're right, there will be pandemonium at all levels: Travel agents, ports of call, International airports around the world, border crossings, etc.

It seems like the government is taking a Wait and See stance. That's too bad.

 

[MrsMork]

I would hope the TA would let these ill informed folks know what they need for any trip they book.

 

[mamalle]

I didnt have a clue about this until I read the boards. we have never had to in the past with our cruises so I wouldnt have known.

 

[maryisme]

Just an FYI. I submitted new passport applications for my two DDs in mid April. My husband and I renewed ours via mail on May 13th.

After calling the passport agency to check the status, I was told they were all sent out just this week. When I got home, my dd's had arrived. I'm assuming I will get the rest either today or during the week. The woman I spoke with at the agency said they were swamped and that turn around time was taking longer than the average 6 - 8 week wait.

Also, I took all photos myself using my digital camera.

 

[suejmj]

Can you tell me what the guidelines are for taking your own pictures - that would cut out a significant amount of the cost as there are 7 of us.
Thx

 

[Hunnybee]

Just stumbled across this news thanks to a different thread and did a search in this forum for more info. I haven't had a passport since high school when I needed one for a choir tour to Europe. So, I have a few questions:

1. Do all children have to have passports as well?

2. How long are passports good for?

Thanks!
Julie

 

[CM_Mom]

Don't think there's been anything DEFINITE about the passports but it sure looks like EVERYONE will need a passport starting Dec 31, 2005 unless something changes. My guess is even if they delay this time, it's just a matter of timeuntil they're required by everyone leaving the country.

I had a business trip to Germany delayed several days waiting on an express passport several years ago and the folks I was going to work with couldn't understand why everyone didn't have passports already. What they didn't understand it that "foreign" soil is a LONG way from Dallas, Texas.

The adult passports are good for 10 years, children's for 5. With the comments about waiting times from others, I think it would be a good idea to go ahead and start saving the $$ and get the passports before the rush.

Several years ago it cost $300 plus the cost of the passport to have an agent walk the passport through to get it expressed. You don't need that expense and if they get bogged down, they might not even allow it.

 

[PLUTO2]

The post office takes pictures but that is an extra $15 a piece. Can you just use pictures that you took with your own camera or do they have to be a certain size and type?(I do not have a digital camera.)Thank you

 

[Cajun Cruiser]

You can take them yourself but they have to be a certain size (passport size). Check in to places like Walmart and Drugstores with photo departments, you can get passport pictures for about 1/2 the post office or pass port office price.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO ALL!!! :thewave:

 

[tink2020]

I can look this information up when I return to work on Tuesday, but I thought maybe someone here would know.

My husband has a passport that will expire before we travel in June 2006. This cruise is supposed to be a surprise, and I was planning on giving him the documents approx 2 weeks before we set sail (graduation gift).

Someone mentioned renewing by mail... can I do that without him having to get another picture, etc? Or am I up a creek as far as the surprise goes??

 

[cass'mom]

You can do it by mail but you may be up a creek as I believe you need 2 new photos...here is the site with the info...hope it helps!

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/renew/renew_833.html

 

[Rence]

Tell DH that passports are going to be required for all travel out of the US very soon (true) and that it will be a lot cheaper if he renews his passport before it expires, rather than going through the whole process to get a new one later after it expries.

 

[tink2020]

Tell DH that passports are going to be required for all travel out of the US very soon (true) and that it will be a lot cheaper if he renews his passport before it expires, rather than going through the whole process to get a new one later after it expries.

Good idea.... maybe he'll buy it, but he's pretty hard to keep a secret from! I'll keep you posted...

 

[Jeanne B]

The post office takes pictures but that is an extra $15 a piece. Can you just use pictures that you took with your own camera or do they have to be a certain size and type?(I do not have a digital camera.)Thank you

If you get a AAA membership you can have the pictures taken at your local AAA office for about $6.

 

[Bee]

If you get a AAA membership you can have the pictures taken at your local AAA office for about $6.

Actually if you buy the AAA plus membership they take them for free.

 

[tink2020]

I can look this information up when I return to work on Tuesday, but I thought maybe someone here would know.

My husband has a passport that will expire before we travel in June 2006. This cruise is supposed to be a surprise, and I was planning on giving him the documents approx 2 weeks before we set sail (graduation gift).

Someone mentioned renewing by mail... can I do that without him having to get another picture, etc? Or am I up a creek as far as the surprise goes??

GOOD NEWS! COMPLETELY forgot that DH went out-of-country and renewed passport more recently than I thought.

I have until 2010..... think of all the cruises I could take by then! Surprise is still on....

 

[msim]

No passports needed now until December 31, 2006 for air and sea travel to the Caribbean and Dec. 31, 2007 for land border crossings! YAYYY! Now I don't have to get a passport for our Nov. 2006 cruise. They were most definitely not in the budget!!!!