Renewing my passport- what a pain!

[dioxide45]

Add another $30 to that $110 figure for a total of $140 if you want both a passport card and a passport "book".

The passport card alone (with no need to also have the passport "book" in possession at the same time) is apparently sufficient for land (i.e., vehicle or rail) or sea --- but apparently not for air --- travel to / from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean only. At least that's how I understand it.

That is correct. I really don't understand the purpose of the passport card. It can be used for land travel and sea travel. For cruising it is good for cruises when taking a closed loop cruise, but if something happens on the cruise and you need to fly back, it will be problematic. Though if you have the passport book, it is good for all that and more. Why pay $30 more bucks for the card

 

[Marathoner]

Curious, I will be leaving the US 5 months before the passport expiration date. If I recall, customs and airlines get nervous if your trip is 6 months or less from the expiration date. Does anyone have any information or experience on this criteria?

There really is no issue with travelling with a passport which is expiring in under 6 months. My daughter travelled with me on a 2 week trip that expired the day after she returned from the trip. None of the customs officials said anything.

 

[Luanne]

There really is no issue with travelling with a passport which is expiring in under 6 months. My daughter travelled with me on a 2 week trip that expired the day after she returned from the trip. None of the customs officials said anything.

That was your experience.

 

[x3 skier]

There really is no issue with travelling with a passport which is expiring in under 6 months. My daughter travelled with me on a 2 week trip that expired the day after she returned from the trip. None of the customs officials said anything.

Apparently you didn't travel to any of the European Union countries or others that are part of the Schengen countries. They all require a passport valid for three months beyond your planned departure date from there. http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/go/schengen-fact-sheet.html

Other countries have similar or longer requirements.

Cheers

 

[Marathoner]

Edited to remove an irrelevant assertion that I made.

 

[x3 skier]

I am pretty sure that I've travelled to more countries than anyone on this thread.

I'll take what the State Department says about Passport Requirements.

Cheers

 

[Marathoner]

I do agree that you should renew your passport when it gets close to 6 months before expiration. My point is that if your schedule does not permit it, you can still travel abroad - since your passport hasn't expired yet! But if you can get it renewed, by all means do so.

 

[DaveNV]

This thread got me motivated to renew my passport, which expires next month. It was a piece of cake. I had none of the website issues as reported by Icydog in this thread. It sailed through for me. (And for the record, I'm using a Mac OS with Safari. No problems at all.)

I went to the website, filled out the form, printed it out, signed it, wrote a check for the $110 renewal fee, went to Costco after work today and got new passport photos ($4.99 at their photo counter), and it's all going in the mail tomorrow. Easy breezy. Couldn't have been easier.

One question: Since I have to send back my expiring passport, is it necessary to send it Registered Mail or whatever? Or will First Class do?

Dave

 

[Passepartout]

I do agree that you should renew your passport when it gets close to 6 months before expiration. My point is that if your schedule does not permit it, you can still travel abroad - since your passport hasn't expired yet! But if you can get it renewed, by all means do so.

You can get a renewal in a day, in person, at an embassy. Or 3 days by paying for expedited AND providing overnight, prepaid courier envelope.

You may well be better traveled than ANYONE participating in this thread, but if so, you would know that you were taking unnecessary risk with your daughter allowing/sanctioning her travel when all it would take would be some operative who wanted to make a point could have delayed you just enough to force you to call upon State Dept resources.

I wouldn't take that risk

Jim

 

[x3 skier]

I do agree that you should renew your passport when it gets close to 6 months before expiration. My point is that if your schedule does not permit it, you can still travel abroad - since your passport hasn't expired yet! But if you can get it renewed, by all means do so.

Just not to the European Union or some others unless you have three months remaining prior to your scheduled leaving the EU Countries according to the US State Department. OTOH, UK states it only needs to be valid for the duration of the stay in the UK, not three months past. https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control

No clue which is accurate but the only time I've had less than six months left was when I held a Diplomatic Passport which trumped everything/everywhere (a lot of countries) so I never tested it.

Cheers

 

[Kal]

Second that you should go ahead and renew it. The reason is that most country's visas are valid for 6 months. They won't stamp a visa in a passport that would expire before the visa.

Jim

That really puts some factual basis to the 6-month criteria. I better get on the renewal process so I don't get caught up with my current passport in the mail and waiting for a renewal to arrive.

Now I better find out how a renewal passport impacts my Global Entry card.

 

[DaveNV]

[slight thread hijack]

Fellow Washingtonians: I've been seeing ads on TV about how we can't use Driver's Licenses from Washington State as proof of ID when flying anymore, effective this month. I've heard we must use a passport. Have any of you had an issue with that? Seems kind of strange - if it's a State Issued ID, how can it not be allowed?

Dave

[/slight thread hijack]

 

[Marathoner]

Removed incorrect data

 

[Marathoner]

[slight thread hijack]

Fellow Washingtonians: I've been seeing ads on TV about how we can't use Driver's Licenses from Washington State as proof of ID when flying anymore, effective this month. I've heard we must use a passport. Have any of you had an issue with that? Seems kind of strange - if it's a State Issued ID, how can it not be allowed?

Dave

[/slight thread hijack]

This gives the background on this issue.

http://money.cnn.com/2015/12/28/tec...5passport-drivers-license-airplane0603PMStory

 

[isisdave]

That is correct. I really don't understand the purpose of the passport card. It can be used for land travel and sea travel. For cruising it is good for cruises when taking a closed loop cruise, but if something happens on the cruise and you need to fly back, it will be problematic. Though if you have the passport book, it is good for all that and more. Why pay $30 more bucks for the card

If you regularly cross a land border, either by car or on foot, there are special Ready Lanes for holders of the card, which has an RFID chip in it. The wait may be half as long. You hold the cards up to a reader when you are second in line, so by the time you get to the agent he knows all about you. This saves about 30 seconds per car.

And if that's ALL the international travel you do, they're about a third the price of the book.

So why don't they put a chip into the book?

 

[Luanne]

[slight thread hijack]

Fellow Washingtonians: I've been seeing ads on TV about how we can't use Driver's Licenses from Washington State as proof of ID when flying anymore, effective this month. I've heard we must use a passport. Have any of you had an issue with that? Seems kind of strange - if it's a State Issued ID, how can it not be allowed?

Dave

[/slight thread hijack]

Dave, is Washington like New Mexico where the driver's license is not a "real ID"? We've been told that eventually we won't be able to use our driver's licenses for flying either. Hence the panicked rush here for getting passports.

 

[SMHarman]

There really is no issue with travelling with a passport which is expiring in under 6 months. My daughter travelled with me on a 2 week trip that expired the day after she returned from the trip. None of the customs officials said anything.

Not to Brazil I assume.

 

[SMHarman]

I do agree that you should renew your passport when it gets close to 6 months before expiration. My point is that if your schedule does not permit it, you can still travel abroad - since your passport hasn't expired yet! But if you can get it renewed, by all means do so.

The British passport is now dated at 10y6m for this reason. You still get a full 10 y passport for your money.

 

[DaveNV]

So why don't they put a chip into the book?

Because this way they can charge you $30 more.

Dave

 

[Passepartout]

So why don't they put a chip into the book?

They do. Look at the cover of your passport book & you'll see it.

 

[x3 skier]

That really puts some factual basis to the 6-month criteria. I better get on the renewal process so I don't get caught up with my current passport in the mail and waiting for a renewal to arrive.

Now I better find out how a renewal passport impacts my Global Entry card.

The expiry dates for GE and Passport can be different but you will need to update the info in the GOES system to reflect your new passport. My passport expires in 2017 but my GE expires in 2018.

Cheers

 

[theo]

Just a guess...

<snip> Why pay $30 more bucks for the card?

Around here, people periodically drive (or use the on again / off again vehicle ferries in Maine) to the Maritime provinces of eastern Canada to visit family and friends.

The "wallet size" card is much more convenient to carry than the passport book. I'm guessing that it's comparable along other northern U.S. states bordering Canada. Maybe also applicable in situations driving from southern border states to / from Mexico as well? I have the card and it's certainly worth the extra $30 to me, while also minimizing opportunities to lose (and then have to replace) the "passbook", which remains stored safely away until actually required for air travel outside the U.S.

As always, YMMV. Different strokes for different folks and to each their own.

 

[Kal]

Dave, is Washington like New Mexico where the driver's license is not a "real ID"? We've been told that eventually we won't be able to use our driver's licenses for flying either. Hence the panicked rush here for getting passports.

You have the option to obtain an "enhanced driver license (EDL)" which will meet the new license requirements ($72 for 6 years).

The EDL is designed with enhancements that are industry best practices for security, including:

• An icon on the front of the card to indicate it is an EDL/EID.
• A machine readable zone like a bar code on the back of the card that can be scanned at the border like a passport.
• A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag to speed identification checks at border crossings. For more information about RFID tags, see the “Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)” section on this page.
• A security sleeve to protect the RFID tag from being read when the card isn’t being used for border crossing

When I last renewed my license there was an option for the EDL (for an additional fee). Since I didn't realize the implications, I stuck with the standard issue. Now I probably need to pony up the $$$.

 

[Luanne]

You have the option to obtain an "enhanced driver license (EDL)" which will meet the new license requirements ($72 for 6 years).

The EDL is designed with enhancements that are industry best practices for security, including:

• An icon on the front of the card to indicate it is an EDL/EID.
• A machine readable zone like a bar code on the back of the card that can be scanned at the border like a passport.
• A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag to speed identification checks at border crossings. For more information about RFID tags, see the “Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)” section on this page.
• A security sleeve to protect the RFID tag from being read when the card isn’t being used for border crossing

When I last renewed my license there was an option for the EDL (for an additional fee). Since I didn't realize the implications, I stuck with the standard issue. Now I probably need to pony up the $$$.

I'm not sure New Mexico has the enhanced license option. I've had a passport for quite awhile so I haven't worried about it.

 

[DaveNV]

Dave, is Washington like New Mexico where the driver's license is not a "real ID"? We've been told that eventually we won't be able to use our driver's licenses for flying either. Hence the panicked rush here for getting passports.

That's pretty much what they're saying here. Something about how the underlying documents are not as strict, making it easier for illegals to get a WA ID. I haven't had to get a first ID in a long time, so don't know which underlying documents they're talking about. Certified birth certificates, or surrendering a license from another state seemed to do the trick. So I don't really understand it all.

Today's news on TV says a "big decision" from TSA(?) is forthcoming about it - but the teaser says "It may make you want to get your passport." So it sounds like they're going to finally pull the plug on licenses as ID from here. Only 22 states have complied with the stricter rules thing, I believe.

I'm going with my passport renewal anyway, so there are no restrictions on where I may want to travel.

Edited to add: I just heard they're granting Washington State an additional two years to get into compliance. I'm still going to renew my passport.

Dave