LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY– The St. Matthews Station Post Office will host a Passport Fair this Saturday, April 15th to meet increased demand from international travelers.  No appointments are necessary.  Passport fairs serve customers on a first come, first served basis.

If planning to travel abroad in 2017, there are several things travelers should be aware of when it comes to passports:

• It may now take about six weeks for first-time passport applicants or for renewals.  The Department of State website provides updated information on processing time.
• Check the expiration date on your U.S. passport. Many countries require that your passport have as much as six months’ validity remaining for entry.
• Saturday passport acceptance hours make it easy for families to obtain passports, allowing both parents to be present when applying for a child’s passport (requirement).

Information for the Saturday, April 15th Passport Fair:

Customers have the option of applying for a passport book (good for all international travel) or the passport card (good only for land and sea travel between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda).

Passport fees

The above fees must be paid with a personal check or money order. In addition to the above costs, there is a $25 processing/acceptance fee plus a $15 fee for photos, which can be paid for by cash, personal check, debit and credit cards or money order.  Passport Fair locations offer passport photo services.

Travelers are encouraged to apply for a passport several months before they are scheduled to travel overseas. Again, the average time for passport applications and renewals is six weeks. However, for an additional fee, the State Department will expedite the application and process it within three weeks.

To apply for a passport, travelers need to complete Passport Application Form DS-11 (unsigned) and provide one of the following: a U.S. birth certificate from the Department of Vital Statistics (not a certificate of birth) or naturalization papers. Applicants must also show either a valid driver’s license, a previous or current U.S. passport book or card, Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, military I.D. or a federal, state or municipal government employee I.D. card. Applicants 15 & under must be present with both parents unless consent is given; ages 16 & 17 require only one parent be present.

For more information about passport application requirements and to download forms, visit the State Department’s travel website at www.travel.state.gov.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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