Passport fee increases

[aelfgyfu_mead]

The US State Department has recently announced increases for new US passports and renewals for but if you have your materials in the mail no later than Monday, you get the current rates.

This site has official forms. Some forms are not available online, but the one I needed to renew my passport is, and I suspect most people will find what they need. If your passport needs renewing soon, do it now! I put off other work yesterday morning when I heard. I spent half the morning filling in the form, printing it out, getting my pictures (only $9 and a few minutes at CVS), and then trundling everything to the Post Office to find out how they recommended sending it. (Registered Mail was their answer; the State Department website didn't have a recommendation, just the address. Registered Mail doesn't pass through machines, and someone signs for it every time it changes hands. I do not work for the PO or the State Department, so I'm just passing on what they told me; I can't vouch for it, but it's what I did.)

This site has official information.

The increases are pretty steep, so it may be worth your time to take care of renewal now.

Comments

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

I've never had a passport - nice to know it's gonna cost twice as much now, though *sigh*

*hugs*

[archersangel (from livejournal.com)]

I've never had a passport - nice to know it's gonna cost twice as much now, though *sigh*

same here & it cost the same to renew on as to get it new? i'm not sure why you'd want to renew it(as opposed to letting it expire & getting a new one) under the new prices, except maybe there's less paperwork?

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

Yeah, less paperwork hassle, but same price - ugh! *Stabbity*

[aelfgyfu_mead]

Oops: see what I just said above: "No, it's not actually the same price; both are $110, but a new passport has the extra $25 "acceptance fee"." So the total is $135 for new.

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

UGH. Well, that makes it slightly worse, lol!

[archersangel (from livejournal.com)]

oh. i missed that difference.
still sucks no matter how you look at it. you'd think they keep it loads cheaper to renew, even with a price increase

[aelfgyfu_mead]

New passports, including renewals, have a microchip. That partly increases the price. Government has also been moving towards a "user fee" model, which I think (but cannot swear) has also had an impact here. For a time, government attempted to keep fees low so that, say, one didn't have to be rich just to go to Canada (now that one needs a passport to get there) and subsidized the State Department through income and corporate taxes. Over a number of years now, income taxes have actually been cut (see the Wikipedia graph: it seems to match data from both left and right that I've also been able to find online, and it's the easiest to read). Corporate taxes have also been cut. Fees for various services are having to carry a larger burden as top income tax rates have been reduced and estate tax has been decreased—and is currently suspended, so that this year no estate tax is being collected in this country. The estate tax could be reinstated.

I think the trend will only continue: we will pay more for specific things from government as the burden shifts further from taxes to user fees. Personally, I don't think this is a good thing.

[aelfgyfu_mead]

No, it's not actually the same price; both are $110, but a new passport has the extra $25 "acceptance fee".

[aurora-novarum.livejournal.com]

Or you know, NEW.

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Bah. Mine expired last year, and I kept putting it off. Then I read about this a few days ago and realized that I really was not going to have enough time to get it in before the rate hike, since I don't believe there's anywhere here in town I can get the pictures done.

I really ought to do it soon, anyway. You never know when you might want to leave the country in a hurry. :)

[bentleywg.livejournal.com]

Kinko's used to do passport photos, years ago. Is there one near you?

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Not really. I live in a small town in the middle of nowhere. It's at least a 50-mile drive the the nearest Kinko's. Last time, I got the photos done at AAA, but that's about 80 miles.

So pretty much any time I want to get something like that taken care of, I have to block out an entire afternoon for it.

[bentleywg.livejournal.com]

Many post offices have passport offices within, so you can turn it in in person. Passport Acceptance Facility search page.

[loriel-eris.livejournal.com]

*checks your prices*

Hmph, we had our steep increases, hmmm, 5-10? years ago.

Having just gone and checked the Source Of All Knowledge, I discovered that our price hike was steep, but gradual over the past 10 years. When I got my first passport in 2000, it was £28. Now, whether you're first time or renewing, passports in the UK are £77.50 (~$116). If you're renewing your passport and you want it done in a hurry, it's £112.50 (~$170) for the one week service, or £129.50 (~$195) for the one day service. Normal passport service is ~3 weeks.

It's absolutely crazy money...

[aelfgyfu_mead]

Holy cow! That's a lot of money!

[loriel-eris.livejournal.com]

God, I know. I was somewhat horrified when I renewed my passport in January...

[flingslass.livejournal.com]

Will you have to sell SC to get a passport? ;-)

[aelfgyfu_mead]

No, but getting her a passport will cost almost as much as renewing mine!

We can't get her one before the rate hike, because we both have to show up with her in person. They want to make sure one parent isn't sneaking a kid out of the country when the other has custody or visitation rights.

[flingslass.livejournal.com]

You have to take the child to the interview? And BOTH parents have to be there? Way to be overboard! There are other ways to protect the rights without being over officious!

[aelfgyfu_mead]

There are alternatives, but they include more paperwork, and that has to be notarized. We have had some highly publicized cases in this country of a parent (usually non-custodial) fleeing the country with a child after a separation or divorce, and there are some countries that will do nothing to return the child—even assuming our officials or the other parent know the final destination.

It's a hassle, but if it keeps children safe, I'll tolerate it. (That doesn't mean I can't complain!)