Augusta, ME — Close to 500 million foreign travelers visited European destinations in 2016 according to the World Tourism Organization, that’s 4% percent more than the prior year — and the U.S. Postal Service is ready to prepare travelers for such future excursions.

You know you need a passport to travel abroad but did you know that, because of the passage of the Real ID Act, Maine residents may need a passport for domestic air travel beginning in 2018?

To make it easier to apply for a U.S. Passport, the following offices will offer extended days and hours for passport processing. A postal clerk can even take your picture if you don’t have one and no appointment is necessary, just walk in.

Stratton Post Office at 95 Main St. will be open Tuesday, April 18 and Friday, April 21 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and again from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Springvale Post Office at 492 Main St. will be open Friday, April 29, from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday, April 29, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Canaan Post Office at 273 Main St. will be open Saturday, May 6, from 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m.
And Machias Post Office at 89 Court St. will be open every Saturday in May from 8 a.m. to noon

Canaan Postmaster Jeannie Dickey says “With routine passport processing times of six weeks, it’s never too early to start planning for that next vacation. And we’re here to help.” She also cites USPS.com as an excellent resource for getting passport paperwork and locating other acceptance facilities across the nation. 

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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