Passports Are Now Needed !!

[knarf]

Passports will be needed for all travel in the Caribbean, Panama, and much of the Western Hemisphere as of 12/31/05. Go to http://www.travel.state.gov for all the latest information. And isn't it ironic that the fees for passports just went up $12.00 !!!! For all of us traveling after 1/1/06, we will now have to get a passport. Our birth certificate will no longer be sufficient! The cost will be $97.00 -good for 10 years. I guess it makes me mad that we will have to get them-but what really burns me is that the GOV. saw this coming so they raise it $12.00- that's only a 14 percent increase- they must also be in charge of the GASOLINE PRICES !!!! Oh well, that's the price for cruising. Sincerely, Knarf (Frank backwards)

[traveller99]

Yes, that's true, passports will be required for US citizens for travel to/from certain areas after 12/31/05. It will be mandatory for all international travel as of 01/01/08. It's really not the price for cruising, it's the price we pay to live in this crazy world and only a tiny amount to protect our freedom to travel when & where we want to go. Now,your point?

[jbond]

Passports will be needed for all travel in the Caribbean, Panama, and much of the Western Hemisphere as of 12/31/05. Go to http://www.travel.state.gov for all the latest information. And isn't it ironic that the fees for passports just went up $12.00 !!!! For all of us traveling after 1/1/06, we will now have to get a passport. Our birth certificate will no longer be sufficient! The cost will be $97.00 -good for 10 years. I guess it makes me mad that we will have to get them-but what really burns me is that the GOV. saw this coming so they raise it $12.00- that's only a 14 percent increase- they must also be in charge of the GASOLINE PRICES !!!! Oh well, that's the price for cruising. Sincerely, Knarf (Frank backwards)

A year ago they were only $55, but gasoline was only about $1.70 as well.

Isn't it ironic that we now have to have passports because of Homeland Security, but the requirement to get a passport is not quite as stringent as the current requirements to re-enter the US from a cruise ship.

Current requirement - original birth certificate and an ORIGINAL, valid Government picture ID, such as DL.

To get a passport - original birth certificate and a COPY of a valid Government picture ID. And don't forget the check for $97.

[LHT28]

You are lucky !

Here in Canada our passports cost $85. for 5 years, so that makes it $190. compared to your $97.

[traveller99]

Thanks LHT28. We should be glad that we can even leave the country, at all. Geez! However, there are some that we probably shouldn't let back in.

[MikeNJ1109]

You are lucky !

Here in Canada our passports cost $85. for 5 years, so that makes it $190. compared to your $97.

 

The costs for an INITIAL passport is $97, which includes both the fee for the passport to the State Department, and the fee to the local offices that help process the applications i.e Post Office, Country Clerk, etc. When you go back in 10 years to renew, the cost is then $65.

 

Either way, the initial cost works out to $9.70 per year, renewal cost is $6.50 per year...that's less then a meal in McDonalds. Keep that in perspective.

 

Michael

[LHT28]

The costs for an INITIAL passport is $97, which includes both the fee for the passport to the State Department, and the fee to the local offices that help process the applications i.e Post Office, Country Clerk, etc. When you go back in 10 years to renew, the cost is then $65.

 

Either way, the initial cost works out to $9.70 per year, renewal cost is $6.50 per year...that's less then a meal in McDonalds. Keep that in perspective.

 

Michael

 

That is even better.....ours is $85. every 5 years no reduction for renewal.

so it works out $17. a year not too bad for the option of leaving the country I suppose.

[ClaudiaF]

Just think with your passport you can start making "REAL" cruise plans to go to Europe ;-)

[kujobie]

A year ago they were only $55, but gasoline was only about $1.70 as well.

Isn't it ironic that we now have to have passports because of Homeland Security, but the requirement to get a passport is not quite as stringent as the current requirements to re-enter the US from a cruise ship.

Current requirement - original birth certificate and an ORIGINAL, valid Government picture ID, such as DL.

To get a passport - original birth certificate and a COPY of a valid Government picture ID. And don't forget the check for $97.

 

They do a pretty thorough background check as well. They don't just look at your documents and issue a passport.

[cruzincurt]

We got ours the week after 9/11. We saw it coming. Now we can join the rest of the world travelers.

[tigerlilycruiser12]

I keep putting off getting a passport. I guess I can not put it off anymore.

[jbond]

They do a pretty thorough background check as well. They don't just look at your documents and issue a passport.

You must be joking, like what? The same background check when you apply for a birth certificate? I'm sorry but I'm confused, I just don't see it as an increase in security level.

[kujobie]

I got my birth certificate when I was 7 days old. I didn't have much of a background at that time. Furthermore, I could create a birth certificate on the crappy printer that I am currently resting my arm on, but I'm not sure if I could fake a passport.

[jbond]

I got my birth certificate when I was 7 days old. I didn't have much of a background at that time. Furthermore, I could create a birth certificate on the crappy printer that I am currently resting my arm on, but I'm not sure if I could fake a passport.

I'm not sure of what your point is. The birth certificate that you could "create a birth certificate on the crappy printer that I am currently resting my arm on" would not get you into the country through a cruise ship port. It wouldn't get you a passport, either.

You can get an official birth certificate through the mail, no personal appearance required. Drivers licenses are easier to fake, especially when it only requires a COPY to get a passport. That's my concern.

You're the one that said they did a pretty thorough background investigation, not me. Personally, I don't think that they do any kind of background investigation. Maybe you know something different. If so, please share it.

[kujobie]

I'm not sure of what your point is. The birth certificate that you could "create a birth certificate on the crappy printer that I am currently resting my arm on" would not get you into the country through a cruise ship port. It wouldn't get you a passport, either.

You can get an official birth certificate through the mail, no personal appearance required. Drivers licenses are easier to fake, especially when it only requires a COPY to get a passport. That's my concern.

You're the one that said they did a pretty thorough background investigation, not me. Personally, I don't think that they do any kind of background investigation. Maybe you know something different. If so, please share it.

 

I'll try to make it clearer. In about 10 to 20 minutes, anyone with brains, a lame computer, and a half-way decent printer could create a birth certificate. It wouldn't be as easy to create a fake passport, would it? What is more secure? My point is that there are undoubtedly more fake birth certificates in circulation (and fake driver's licenses, for that matter) than fake passports, and if passports are required to travel, then we will all be more secure. I've never heard of anyone having trouble getting a license or BC. I have heard of trouble getting a passport.

[stanford's girl]

Here's the passport update from my Sunday paper in the travel section. The 1st deadline is 12/31/05, which covers the Caribbean, Bermuda, and South and Central America, by air and sea. 12/31/06 is the deadline for Mexico and Canada, by air and sea. Land crossings with Canada and Mexico will be added by the end of 2007. So if you don't have one, beat the rush and apply now.:)

[Princess Di]

And, isn't it about time. :eek:

 

The rest of the world has been traveling with Passaportes for decades. :cool:

 

Thanks for this thread, Frank. :D

[cruzincurt]

When we were at the passport office getting ours back in 2001, they said that just after the naturalization ceremonies, there is a huge line that shows up immediately afterwards. These new citizens can't wait to get their passports. And here we have some people who spend thousands on a cruise complaining about the cost of a passport. It's cost probably doesn't even come close to their bar tab.

[traveller99]

As for the "Copy" of the D/L... Like you're going to send your original, DUH. B/C + D/L is checked with the issuing governing body for validity. The states have your photo on file for the D/L, hence the passport office has access to that. Your Social Security # is on file, with the "owners" name and location of issuance, that's a gimme. The birth certificate has a registration number that must match the one you're sending to the Passport Office. The passport application form uses the mother's maiden name, which, by the way, is on the B/C. I can go on, but won't. By cross-checking this info, the Passport Office has a pretty good chance of issuing a passport to the right person. Could a bad guy, do the same to receive a bogus passport, yes, but chances are there is going to be a "red flag" that pops up in the Passport Office's process.

[familycruzer]

The extra $12 fee is going for directly to the Homeland Security fund. A small price to pay for 10 years.

[jbond]

I'll try to make it clearer. In about 10 to 20 minutes, anyone with brains, a lame computer, and a half-way decent printer could create a birth certificate. It wouldn't be as easy to create a fake passport, would it? What is more secure? My point is that there are undoubtedly more fake birth certificates in circulation (and fake driver's licenses, for that matter) than fake passports, and if passports are required to travel, then we will all be more secure. I've never heard of anyone having trouble getting a license or BC. I have heard of trouble getting a passport.

So what you're saying is in about 10 to 20 minutes, anyone with brains, a lame computer, and a half-way decent printer could create a birth certificate. So that, along with the easy to get DL should get you a real passport. Correct?

 

When we were at the passport office getting ours back in 2001, they said that just after the naturalization ceremonies, there is a huge line that shows up immediately afterwards. These new citizens can't wait to get their passports.

As naturalized citizens, it's much more convenient to use a passport than naturalization papers. Naturalization papers are cumbersome, very valuable, difficult to replace if lost and it is illegal to copy them. Like the people you mention in your thread, we applied for US passports immediately we got our citizenship.