The world truly is a small place after all and our ability to travel it is increasing momentously every second. Once, on a spring break trip to a small town on a peninsula in Costa Rica I had the chance encounter of a person who I went to high school with. Another time in Austria I met a fellow skier from the Czech Republic who is now one of my closest friends, who came and visited me one winter and now lives in Oregon with someone she met in the States. To travel the world is such an amazing experience no matter where you go. The memories that you make and the people that you meet leave such an impression that you are never the same after a single minute abroad. However, one catch remains… As united as the world may be, we are all still separated by borders, and to cross the borders, one crucial document is needed… a passport.
Passports are an official document issued by a government, certifying a holder’s identity and citizenship and entitling them to travel under its protection to and from a foreign country. Although the earliest reference to passports dates back to 450 BC when King Artaxerxes of ancient Persia granted an official to travel to Judah with request from the governors beyond for safe passage for him during his travels, passports originated in the fifteenth century as a means of denoting authorization to enter or depart a port or gate of a city. These passports developed into a general list of cities and towns that the holder was granted to visit. Later, personal information was added until about 1860 when passports were not generally needed to travel from seaports but only on land. Following the world wars, the United Nations developed a general guideline for the layouts and features of passports that has now become the norm for modern day passports.
Some people have had a passport since they were very young; some have never had one. It is for this purpose that we will cover the information needed to obtain or renew a passport (note that this is information for a passport of the United States and may differ in other countries). Passports can be applied for at any government court, post office, and some public libraries. It usually takes up to six weeks to process (two weeks if you pay for expedited service) so it is wise to take this into consideration with the beginning of your trip. If you have a passport, you should check that the expiration date extends through your date of return to your home country. You should also be aware if you are traveling to a specific country that requires a visa to be applied for prior to entry, for example India, mainland China, or the Ukraine.
For first timers you will need to bring the following items when you apply (application must be done in person for your first passport, or your previous passport was issued when you were under 16):
- Two identical photographs 2”x2” taken within the past six months, full face with a white background.
- Proof of US citizenship such as a birth certificate (Social Security cards do not count).
- Valid form of Photo ID such as a driver’s license.
If you are renewing your passport, an application can be downloaded from the State Department website and mailed in with your expired passport. The total cost of renewing a passport is $67. The fee for a new passport comes to $97 if over 16 years old and $82 if under 16.
When traveling, if your passport is lost or stolen while overseas, you will not be able to return to your home country. You must contact the nearest US (or whatever nationality you claim) embassy or Consulate.
Traveling is such an amazing experience that hopefully we all get to experience at some point in our lives. Often times we find ourselves forever changed by our foreign endeavors and with new friends and memories that will last a lifetime.
