Norwich NY – Obtaining a passport in the Norwich, NY, area will become more convenient on the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day, March 14, when trained U.S. Postal Service employees assist in helping the public apply for them.

While Saint Patrick may not have needed a passport to travel in 440 A.D., nowadays, a passport is required for all international travel. Norwich is offering customers an opportunity to get started on their travel planning.

Customers can come to the Norwich Post Office at 20-22 E. Main St. on Saturday, March 14 from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Reservations are recommended but not required; call (607) 334-4134. Passport photos will be offered onsite for an additional fee.

To obtain a passport applicants need to:

• Bring proper proof of American citizenship. This must be either a certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state; a previous U.S. passport; a certificate of citizenship; or a naturalization certificate. (Please note: a hospital-issued birth certificate alone is not acceptable.)
• Bring proof of identity. This must be either: a recently issued U.S. passport; a recently issued naturalization certificate; a recently issued certificate of citizenship; or a current valid driver’s license, government ID or military photo ID.
• Bring a photocopy of proof of identity. Each applicant must bring a photocopy of the front and back of the ID that will be presented at the time of passport acceptance.

The passport application requires recent color passport photographs of you (2” x 2” in size). The Post Office will offer passport photo service for an additional $15.

Customers should download the passport application from www.travel.state.gov  and complete beforehand. Do not sign the application.

All applicants must appear in person (including minors).

Each passport for an adult must be accompanied by a check or money order for $110, made payable to the U.S. Department of State and a $35 acceptance fee made payable to USPS. Fees for children under 16 are $80, payable to the U.S. Department of State and $35 payable to USPS.

The cost to expedite processing at the Department of State is $60 paid per application, in addition to required fees.

Customers can call 1-800-ASK-USPS, or go to the Postal Service’s website www.usps.com, to get the location of other nearby passport Post Offices and their passport customer service hours.

Passport customers may check the U.S. State Department’s web site at www.travel.state.gov to obtain additional information. Customers may also obtain passport information by phone, in English and Spanish, by calling the National Passport Information Center toll-free at 1-877-487-2778.

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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