Needing to apply for my passport for my honeymoon soon.

What else do I need to bring besides a birth certificate? Do they take the pictures there?

I'm thinking about going to the C/S postoffice the day after Thanksgiving since I'm off from work, would I be able to do it then?

Also, how much does it cost to apply for a passport?

~$80 I believe for a passport, I may be way off but you should check at usps.com to get what you need to bring in.

Also, there is the option for a quicker delivery if the honeymoon is coming sooner than when they can get it back to you.

I've heard you can make appointments, which might help with not having to wait as long.

9:30-2:30 at the CS Post Office (on 2818)
That location does not have a picture facility.

For the passport book + card it is 95$ + 25$ execution fee

For the passport it is 75$ + 25$ execution fee.

USPS link

Where would I get the pictures done?

And do I need a passport and a card or can I just skip that?

Most places with photo lab (Walgreens, Walmart, etc.) will take passport photos.

You can take your own and print it on photo paper. Just make sure it's the correct size.

That is a negative about taking your own picture.

That might have gone over okay in the past, but since the biometric passports have been issued, you need a picture with certain dimensions, where your face is positioned perfectly based on a measurement pattern.

However, Walgreens, FedEx/Kinkos, Walmart, etc etc can all do that for you. Just be sure to bring a printout of the little example picture to make sure that your picture looks like the one that the government wants. You dont want to wait in line or go to get it done and then your picture is rejected, or worse, its sent off to the Dept of State and then they reject your picture.

If you're paying with check, make sure you bring two separate checks. One goes to the federal government and one goes to the local processing place.

You can come by Postal Plus 9-6 Monday-Friday and 10-2 on Saturday. We can take your picture and provide you will all the documents you need to fill out. Also you can go to the county clerks office to have it processed, they are open 8-5.

You can click my ad at the bottom of the page to find out more info...

Passport questions.

I am needing a new passport. My old one expired 2 years ago.

1. Without rush service, can I have it in my hands by the first week of March (assuming I mail in the app this week)?
2. Do I need to mail away my old passport? If so, will I get it back?
3. Do I need the card, or just the book, or both?
4. Is mine considered a renewal, or a new passport?

[This message has been edited by El Chupacabra (edited 1/5/2010 12:07p).]

The way I read it, the card is primarily for Canada and Mexico. It also can be used for other locations you primarily access by land or sea. It cannot be used for air travel.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html

I applied for my passport in November and received it in less than three weeks without having to rush it. I had my photo taken for $8 at Walgreens and was given two copies of it. Between the passport fee, the processing fee, and the charge for the Walgreens photos, I spent $110. I wouldn't spend the extra money to get the passport card, since the passport book works just fine for Mexican and Canadian travel. Make sure you read the application process carefully. You have to make copies of your ID card beforehand. The guy at the CS post office was really nice to work with. Another thing, you get charged separately for the passport and the processing fee, so make sure you take two checks with you.

make sure you send in the correct birth certificate. they no longer accept the short form. you need to specifically ask for the long form certificate from the county clerks office. i told them i needed it to get a passport and they gave me the short form so everyone might not know this yet.

Do not let them take the photo of you at the Walgreens/CVS. They just use a digital camera and snap a phot and put it in the machine. Take a digital image of you or two and just use that. They will print it off the right size for you.

I had to get a replacement for mine last year due to water damage (got wet in the rain forest of Costa Rica - go figure!). It took way less time than what it says on the website.

I had pictures taken at CVS on Southwest Parkway/Texas and those pictures worked just fine. They were cheaper than the ones they take at the Post Office. Also, as stated above, make sure you have your checkbook to write out the checks - they do not take credit card (which is all I use!).

They *should* mail your old passport to you, but that may take several weeks. I've always gotten mine back in the mail after they've been left at the post office and sent in.

Do you need a passport for St. Lucia?

If you are flying out of the US, you need a passport.

End of story.

St Lucia is not in the US.

[This message has been edited by defroach (edited 10/28/2010 1:58p).]

feisty...

I dont get why that is not common knowledge?

i just applied for my 3 weeks ago, and got it back in ten days, didnt pay extra either

took about 3 1/2 weeks

Mine took 4 weeks without rush

Not sure if you are still taking advice, but we just got ours in October for a trip in 3 weeks. It took about 10 days to get it back, and you can check the status online throughout the process.

Here is what I did:
1. Took pictures of all 3 of at home (at least 3 or 4 of each of us). Just make sure it's on a white or light background.

2. Took my SD card from my camera to Walgreens (CVS wouldn't do this for me). Folks at Walgreens put it in the kiosk, and just walked through the steps. If they give you a problem, just tell them what to do (that's what I did).

3. Fill out the form ONLINE before you go to the Post Office. You can find it here:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds11/ds11_842.html

4. CS post office was actually pretty pleasant to work with. I ended up writing 4 different checks (for 2 new passports and 1 renewal) so definitely take 2 checks.

It will cost you $110 for a new passport + $25 execution fee.

For documentation you need:
1. Original birth certificate (they will mail it back to you).
2. Your license or ID - take the original, they can make a copy for you.
3. 2 passport photos

I can't remember if they asked for my social security card or not, but bring it just in case.

Hope that helps.