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.

 

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 Web site for travel warnings and consular information sheets that provide very helpful information about the country you plan on visiting. The Travel and Living Abroad section of the State Department Website also contains a comprehensive list of the services it provides. This includes crisis assistance for U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad, and various travel publications available online.

 

American Embassies and Consulates General
Many U.S. diplomatic missions abroad have a Web site, which can be found on the list of U.S. embassies and consulates. For those that don't, check the State Department's Key Officers of Foreign Service Posts for contact information.

 

Passports in a Hurry
Passports usually take from 30 to 40 days to issue. For a $60.00 fee—plus the cost of 2-way overnight mail—you can "expedite" this process and receive your passport in about two weeks. Learn more about expediting your passport application.