TENNESSEE DISTRICT — If international travel is part of your spring break or summer travel plans, don’t miss the opportunity to apply for a passport at several post offices in the area on Saturday, February 11th. No appointments are necessary for the fair – applications are accepted on a first come, first served basis.

Saturday passport acceptance hours are especially convenient for families, allowing both parents to be present when applying for a child’s passport (requirement).  Applicants 15 & under must be present with both parents to apply.  If only one parent is present, they must provide a notarized DS-3053 from the other parent.  Children ages 16 & 17 require only one parent be present.                                      

If planning to travel abroad in 2017, there are several things travelers should know:

• It may now take about six weeks for first-time passport applicants or for renewals.  You can check The Department of State website under “Travel” for updated information on  processing time.
• Check the expiration date on your U.S. passport. Many countries require that your passport has as much as six months’ validity remaining for entry.
• If you are traveling independently, be aware many countries require a travel visa to enter the country.  Information about travel visas is also on the State Department website.   If you part of a travel group, the organizer often takes care of this requirement.

Information for the Saturday, February 11th Passport Fairs:

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. (No exceptions!)  In addition to the above costs, there is also 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. All of the Post Offices above 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.

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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