State Department urging U.S. citizens to file their passport requirements now

“The holidays are an excellent time to take care of all of your passport needs,” the U.S. State Department said in its latest public service advisory. However, it also reminds citizens that the U.S. Post Offices, U.S. Department of State Passport Agencies, and other federal offices  would be generally closed on December 25 and January 1, which are Federal holidays.

Back in September, along with the launch of its “Apply Early” campaign, the state department warned that there may be a deluge of passport renewal applications that can be expected to pour in starting January 2016. The bulk of the demand will reportedly be coming from the more than 18 million whose passports were issued in 2006 and 2007. Good for 10 years, most of these passports will now need to be renewed by early next year. Currently, the average waiting time for a passport is four to six weeks. Once these requests for renewals come pouring in, the average waiting time could jump to 10 weeks or even more.

Aside from the renewals, the changing demographics, the improving economy, better international exchange rates for the U.S. dollar, and the intense competition in cheap airfares are also likely to add to the anticipated surge in demand for passports. Since 2007, according to government statistics, more than 550 passport service employees have been added, and 10 new passport agencies have been opened. Plans have also been announced to hire more workers and extend call-center hours since more and more Americans now are applying for passports every year. In 2014, according to the state department’s Passport Office, a total of 14 million passports has been issued.

To pay for the cost of processing the increasing number of passport applications, government has correspondingly raised prices and fees. For the first passport, for instance, the amount to be collected from an applicant has been raised from $100 to $135. For a renewal, it has been increased from $75 to $110. Adding visa and other pages to a passport, which used to be a free service, now will cost an applicant an extra $82. A new fee has been introduced for those who may wish to formally renounce their U.S. citizenship. While before, they can do this for free, now they have to shell out an extra $450 to cover the cost of the additional paperwork involved.

When getting a passport, or renewing one, take note that you can pay the applicable fees by check or money order only – made out to “U.S. Department of State” – with your full name and date of birth “typed or printed” on the front of the instrument. Along with your application form, send one passport photo, stapled to the application, inside an envelope large enough to fit the form without folding.

First-time passport applicants must apply in person at any of the state department’s acceptance facilities, which include post offices, clerks of court, and public libraries, around the United States. The department’s website gives the numbers you can call to verify the hours they are open to receive your passport application.