My Little Sister (through Big Brothers Big Sisters), T, had her house broken into earlier this week. Among the electronics and jewelry that were stolen, gone is her passport (and birth certificate, but that’s another matter).
Though T was born in the U.S., her family is Vietnamese with a basic working knowledge of English. So, they called me for a little help with their conundrum. Thought this would be a good time to share the ins and outs of passports with my readers.
Lost or stolen passport in your home country
If your passport goes missing while you’re in your home country, you’ll want to report it immediately to your local police department and your country’s passport service department. For U.S. citizens, you can find the form here. And Canadian’s can find information here.
Lost or stolen passport in another country
If you’re on the road, and you lose your passport, you’ll want to immediately notify the local police and the nearest consulate or embassy for your country. Here’s a list of embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions around the world for U.S. citizens. Canadians can find a list here.
Applying for a new passport (what do you mean you don’t have one yet???)
If you’re a U.S. citizen applying for a passport for the first time, you must apply in person. The U.S. Department of State has a complete list of “musts” so that you can prepare everything in advance. For those over 16, cost is $75 with an additional “execution fee” (whatEVER that is) of $25 tacked on for good measure. Canadians can apply via mail or in person for a cost of $87 Canadian. Forms can be found here.
Renewing your current passport
If you have a passport that simply needs renewing, you can do so via mail if you’re a U.S. citizen. A renewal is $75. Canada now has a simplified renewal process and it appears the cost is the same as applying for a new passport.
In general, it takes a few weeks for your passport to be processed but always give it a couple of months so that you’re not scrambling or fretting as you wait for that passport just prior to a trip. All passport agencies have expedited services for an additional fee in case you’re in a pinch.
Always make several copies of the front pages of your passport and leave a copy at home and one in your luggage (or keep it on your person). Having this information will make the process of getting one reissued much faster.
Travel Well!
Beth
Related links:
4 Tips for Handling Money While Traveling
Travel Goods – Passport Holder
Passport photo courtesy of jaaron at Creative Commons
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Traveling Dad says
Also note that if you are applying for your child’s passport, it’s a real pain in the rear. Even if it’s just a renewal, BOTH parents have to be present and have ID. (Who knows how you work it if you’re a single parent). Plus you must bring a birth certificate, not just the child’s old passport. And if they don’t like the photos you got at Rite-Aid, you’ll pay another $15 for two tiny photographs on the spot. Have fun!
jamie says
Apparently you can also get a kid passport with a signed affidavit from the absent parent (might work for families where one parent works at a big company with a notary on staff).
Quickroute says
I had run out of pages on my US passport recently and was just going to renew it but then realized you can get 20 extra pages added to your existing passport for free!