GOT PASSPORT? As the holiday season approaches
- the vacation season approaches as well. And if
you haven't yet gotten a passport for yourself or
your family members - better act now.
While a birth certificate used to do the trick
for traveling out of the country, effective
January 8, 2007, all US citizens leaving the
country and traveling by air will be required to
present a valid passport. Yep, even the kids. Why?
Better security and safety. Passports are much
more uniform than birth certificates, making it
much easier for border and security officials to
detect any forgery, and help prevent unauthorized
entry into the US.
The processing of a passport can take several
weeks - so even if you don't have a trip
immediately planned, get started now. Here are a
few helpful links:
If you are applying for a passport for the
first time, simply hit this link -
passport- for instructions on how and where to
obtain a passport, and to download the required
forms to save time. When applying for the first
time, you must apply in person at one of the 7,000
passport acceptance facilities.
