Below you will find links to many questions concerning passports.  Should you have any additional questions, or would like assistance in an emergency travel situation, do not hesitate to contact one of my offices.

 

Among the questions answered will be where to apply, when to apply by mail or in person and how to obtain a passport quickly.

 

Passports are obtained through the Passport Services Division of the Department of State.  Through your local passport acceptance agent, usually the Post Office or county courthouse, you can apply for a new passport, renew your old one, or do any of a number of things, including replacing a lost, stolen, or damaged passport, or adding new pages to your existing book.  If you wish to download passport forms through the State Department's website, click here
 

One of the pre-requisites for obtaining a U.S. passport is a certified copy of your birth certificate.

 

For information about obtaining a New York birth certificate, click here.

 

If you were born in another state or U.S. territory, for information about obtaining a copy of your birth certificate click here

 

Many post offices, libraries, state and federal courts and some municipal offices accept passport applications. To locate a passport acceptance facility near you, click here.

 

If you are leaving on a trip within 14 days, you have two options available to you. First, you can make an appointment at the Boston Passport Agency. The automated telephone line is (617) 878-0900.

 

This service is especially useful, if you must travel within five days. If you obtain an appointment early in the day, it is sometimes possible to pick up your passport that same day. In some instances, your passport will be ready for you the following business day. In that case, you can either pick your passport up, or have it sent to you using an overnight courier service.

 

Whether you apply in person at the Boston Passport Agency or use the expedited service through the mail you must present your tickets or airline-generated itinerary in order to show that, in fact, you will be traveling within the 14 day window required by the passport agency to process an expedite request.

 

For more information, click here.

 

Traveling Overseas
You've got your passport and you're ready to go on your trip, right?  Not quite.  You still have to check with the country or countries you'll be visiting to determine whether or not you'll need a visa. A visa is permission from a country to cross their borders and comes in the form of a page inserted in your U.S. Passport.  You usually have to mail your passport to the Embassy or Consulate of the country you'll be visiting, so allow plenty of time to accomplish this. 

 

Also, check the State Department website for travel warning and consular information sheets that provide very helpful information about the country you plan on visiting.  The State Department services website also contains very comprehensive information on all the services it provides both stateside and abroad. This includes crisis assistance for U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad, and various travel publications available on-line.

 

American Embassies and Consulates General
Many U.S. Diplomatic Missions abroad have information on-line. For those that don't, check the State Department's Key Officers of Foreign Service Posts for addresses, and phone and fax numbers for U.S. Embassies and Consulates throughout the world.