Add “passport” to your Saturday errands for March 27 as area Post Offices join the Department of State in celebrating “Passport Day in the USA,” a national passport acceptance and outreach event.

In the event of an emergency involving a family member abroad, a short-notice airfare bargain, or an unexpected business trip, local postal officials note that having a valid passport can save time, expedited processing fees and stress.

Under current travel requirements, US citizens must present a valid passport book when entering or re-entering the United States by air. Citizens entering the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda and sea ports of entry must present a passport book, passport card or other travel documents approved by the U.S. government.

According to the Department of State, passport processing currently takes about four to six weeks which means students pursuing summer studies abroad, spring brides and vacationers leaving in early summer need to plan now for travels that require passports.

Postal officials note that passport forms will be available at all locations. Applicants may also download passport forms from usps.com, the Postal Service website.

At the post office, each applicant must present proof of US Citizenship by supplying a certified birth certificate with a registrar's raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal. Others may need to obtain a consular report of birth abroad or a naturalization certificate.

Those applying also need proof of identity which can include a previous US passport, a Naturalization Certificate, a valid Driver's license, a Government ID or Military ID issued to military personnel. All passport applicants also must provide a Social Security number, including infants. Additional information about passport procedures may be obtained at www.usps.com/passport/ or travel.state.gov/.

Passport information by phone in English and Spanish by calling the National Passport Information Center toll-free at 1-877-487-2778.

WHERE CAN I GET A PASSPORT NEAR ME?

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Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/news.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no direct support from taxpayers. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 28th in the 2009 Fortune 500.