Tribune Staff Reports
A passport fair is set from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Brownstown Post Office, 201 S. Sugar St.
Passports are required for all international travel, including to Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean or Bermuda. Regulations state in addition to presenting a valid passport book when returning to the United States by air, you will now need to present a U.S. passport at land borders and sea ports of entry.
The U.S. Postal Service recommends customers come in as early as possible to apply for their passports prior to their departure. The U.S. Department of State currently is reporting approximately six weeks for processing routine passports from the time of application.
Expedited processing of the passport application by the Department of State is available for an additional cost. This includes overnight delivery of the application by Priority Mail Express both to and from the Department of State. With the faster processing, customers should receive their passport approximately three weeks from the time of application.
To help the passport application process go smoothly and efficiently, the Postal Service recommends applicants bring in:
Proof of American citizenship, such as a certified birth certificate issued by the city, country or state; a previous U.S. passport; a certificate of citizenship; or a naturalization certificate. A hospital-issued birth certificate alone is not acceptable.
Proof of identity. This must be either a previous U.S. passport, a naturalization certificate, a certificate of citizenship or a current valid driver’s license, government ID or military photo ID.
To save time, customers may download a passport application at travel.state.gov or pick one up at the post office.
Applicants must appear in person, and those under age 16 must appear with both parents. If one parent is not available, a notarized authorization from the absent parent is required.
Passport fees are $145 for adults (16 years and older) with a separate payment of $35 to the Postal Service for its processing fee and $110 paid to the Department of State for the passport application fee.
For persons under 16, the total cost is $115, which includes a $35 processing fee to the Postal Service and $80 to the Department of State.
The Postal Service also offers a passport photo service for $15.
The application must be paid by cash or check. Credit or debit cards and cash or checks may be used to cover the cost of photos and acceptance fees.
Information: Call 812-358-3703 or visit travel.state.gov