Passport picture question

[bigsky]

Looking to get our passports soon. I was wondering about the picture. Do you have to get a certain size? Do you send that in with your application? Can you do them on your own digital and just downsize them yourself?

Someone told me to go to Walgreens.

I have no clue about passports.:rolleyes: Want to get them for our Jan. cruise. Don't want to wait til the last minute like I'm sure many will.

 

Thanks!

[kitty9]

The pics have to be a very specific size and proportion. If they are not specifically passport pictures, and not those you take yourself and downsize, they will reject your application. You must submit 2 passport photos and the application along with your original birth certificate and the required fees. Walgreens will do a nice job with the photos, and you get a sheet of about 9 photos for a good price. Just cut two of the pics from the set and mail them in.

[bigsky]

That was quick! Thanks!

I guess I'll work on that this weekend for both hubby and I.

Do you have to go to the court house or I've heard you can send it in through the post office?

THanks!

[docksider21]

Hi

 

You can get the passport photo requirements from the US Department of State website. While this is more technical info than you need, reading it will help you not easily recognize whether the pics you are purchasing/submitting meet requirements or not.

 

A personal note on glasses. The rules will specifiy whether you may wear your glasses in the photo. You usually can. I, however, take mine off because the passport is used not only by US Customs but by foreign customs, and I assume that they might prefer a photo without glasses. If they are not sure if I, with glasses on, look like my pic, I can alway remove my glasses.

 

You may submit your in person application at any passport agency. There are several official Depart of State agencies in the U.S. (One in New Orleans, which is closed for now due to Hurricane Katrina, which means that the processing work will be more at the others and the wait longer). You may submit in person at a US Post that accepts applications (not all do) or at any US Courthouse, or at any State Courthouse of Record,(not traffic court) which accepts Passport application, again not all do. You can renew by mail, but you must make in person application for a new passport.

 

Whether to use the Courthouse or the Post Office is really of question of which is more convenient for you.

 

Good Luck

[alb38]

Do you have to go to the court house or I've heard you can send it in through the post office?

THanks!

 

Bigsky,

As far as the pictures - CVS drugstore also does them and if you go onto www.travel.state.gov and click on passports it will tell you where you can go in your area to apply. We went to our local library and they took care of everything which worked great because we could do it on a weekend.

[doone]

Be sure to go to a reputible place for your passport pictures and that the person doing the pictures is knowledgeable about what's accepted and what's not for your pictures. Reason I say this is my sister went to our local CVS store for passport pictures, well they were rejected by the post office when we went to apply because her son had a baseball hat on and the young girl doing the pictures didn't know you couldn't wear a hat. She ended up going to AAA and then was fine. Just be aware.

[trish1c]

Wal Mart also takes passport photos.

[ArizonaTracie]

Can you mail in your passport appplication??:confused: When I read the info on the website, I thought if you are a first time applicant you had no choice but to apply in person. I printed off the application form from my computer, but was waiting for a day for hubby to take off work early so we could go to the office together, it would be great if we could just mail them in. Someone please let me know what the proper procedure is...thanks!!

[Peaches1117]

You can also have the pictures taken at AAA. We had to submit all of our information, plus photos, to the Clerk of Courts and they submitted from there. The passports were mailed to us along with our birth certificates.

[crucero-amante]

First time applicants must apply with form DS-11 and make a personal appearance before a passport agent, postal clerk or clerk of court authorized to accept passport applications.

 

Applicants that can apply by mail must meet the following:

Can submit most recent US passport

At least 16 years of age when most recent US passport was issued

Most recent US passport issued less than 15 years ago

Same name as most recent US passport

 

Mail in cost is $67.00 rushed is $127.00

*this information is off of the form for mail in applications.

 

Photo's have quite a few restrictions and the details are on the website.

travel.state.gov

I would just purchase passport photos it is a lot easier.

 

I just happen to be getting things organized to send in for new passport, hope this helps.:)

[Capt_BJ]

Look in your Yellow Pages under PASSPORT & VISA services.

 

You will probably find several listing for places that will take the picture - ranging from drug stores to photo processors to camera stores and actual photo studios.

 

And - you will find listing for places that will do much of the dirty work for you if you don't want to do it yourself. The info is all on the State Dept page and once you gather the docs and pictures it is pretty easy. But there are folks who will do it for you if u are

[DigiPix71]

I went to out clerk's office and waited in line, only to find that you cannot pay the fee in cash. One portion of the payment ($67 check, cashier's check or money order) gets mailed with your application to the Department of State and the other ($30, which can be cash, check, credit card, whatever) is paid separate to whatever agency (clerk, PO) that is accepting your application.

 

We have since made an appointment at the Post Office so we don't have to wait in line at the clerk's office.

[Cam6959]

My DH and I just received our passports and what a shock! During the transfer of our pic to the passport I have turned totally orange/gold. I look on my death bed from Hepatitis or some other liver disease. My husband on the other hand is beet red and looks like someone put him next to a fire! LOL I sure hope they look at these passports and say wow did they ever have a complete recovery! Original pics look just fine so it must be the process they used.