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Passports / Traveling Abroad
Traveling abroad can be an overwhelming experience. Whether you need help obtaining a passport or want to know the latest warnings for Americans traveling abroad, my staff can help.
Passports
My office is pleased to assist constituents with their passport needs. For those who require a passport for the first time or need to replace or renew their passport, the following information is useful.
Passports are typically processed in approximately six weeks. If your departure date is less than 30 working days you will need your application expedited. The Passport Service requires an additional $35 fee for the expedited passport. Applicants requiring expedited handling should request overnight mail delivery to ensure receipt of the passport. If you are travelling overseas within two weeks and require additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact my
St. Louis office.
New Passports
New Passports require a completed DSP-11 form (brown application), a $60 application fee (check or money order made payable to Passport Services), two identical passport photos (please read the application instructions regarding required size), and proof of citizenship (a certified copy of a birth certificate, naturalization document or expired passport). If a certified copy of a birth certificate is not available, the passport agency requires a letter from Vital Statistics stating that there is no record of the birth and provide either of the following: an affidavit of birth, a baptismal certificate, a hospital certificate, early school records, or a census report. Applications for new passports will not be processed unless it is witnessed by an authorized agent and sealed in a brown envelope.
Lost or Stolen Passports
Lost or Stolen Passports require the same steps as a new passport and a DSP-64 form (gray form).
Passport Renewal Applications
Passport Renewal Applications require a completed DSP-82 form (white form with pink lettering), a $40 application fee (check or money order made payable to Passport Services), two identical passport photos, and the expired passport. To apply for a renewal, the applicant must have been 18 years old when the passport was issued and the expired passport must have been issued within the last 12 years. Renewal applications should be mailed to:
National Passport Center
P.O. Box 371971
Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7971
If the passport is expedited, the additional $35 fee is required. Again, it is strongly recommended that the applicant pay for overnight mail delivery.
Additional Resources
Additional Resources are available at the U.S. Department of State Passport Services web site, which contains answers to frequently asked questions regarding passports.
The U.S. Department of State Passport Information Page
Travel Warnings
Before you travel abroad, please check to see if the State Department has issued travel warnings for the country you intend to visit. The State Department also provides contacts for U.S. embassies and consulates throughout the world at its website.
The Centers for Disease Control offers advice on vaccine requirements, disease outbreaks, food and water precautions, and health recommendations in certain geographic areas.
The Centers for Disease Control
Other sources that offer important information about traveling abroad include the Central Intelligence Agency Fact Book and U.S. State Department Travel publications, which provide Americans with information they should know before traveling abroad.
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