Lil, get started on it NOW!!! The paperwork backlog has increased recently, due to the new requirements, they're now saying 8 weeks...the state dept. website has a link that can help you find the closest office (likely the main Post office near you)

Just went thru that ordeal with #2 son, we stood in line in the PO lobby for nearly 2 hours, & had to write 2 checks (they wouldn't take my plastic), $52 to State, $45 to the Postmaster...They also now have his certified birth certificate (not a copy), which they will send back someday, but I need it now for some SSDI paperwork, so it's off to Vital Records for another copy unless it shows up in the next few days...

So after all the crap we've gone thru, #2 announces last week that he really doesn't wanna go on that Australia trip after all...dear Lord, please don't let me kill my own child... :sad: :hair: :whack: :banghead:

Thanks for the heads up. I will go on the 2nd and do it all.

Good idea.

Best to use a photo that everyone will recognize. :D

Lilith,

The sooner you start the better. I had to contact Senator Mikulski's office to get State to move on my passport. It can take a long time.

The website says photo on thin paper. Do they mean like regular photo paper you get pics printed on?

I was going to take digital pics and have them printed at Wallyworld. Is that going to work?

Everyone I know has gone to Walgreen's and had them take their passport photos... it's more expensive than doing it yourself.

I recall they had very specific requirements for the photos BEFORE. I'm sure they are at least as picky now. There may be more places doing them, to the spec, around now that the demand is higher, but that use to be a free service with most full service travel agencies if you were a client or they would do them for a minimal fee for non-clients.

Passport service has become another profit center for everyone, including the government.



(read The Last Days Of The Roman Empire) ;)

Your passport issuance authority will have a set of rules, lighting, size, backgrounds etc.

You should be able to print them at any of the photo-print places.

I had a passport before I retired, but when we started planning for PAGAN, we got one for my wife. I think it took about 4-5 weeks to get it. The pictures were digital and I printed them on standard photo paper (matte). I forget the dimensions, but it was relatively small. I think costs were right around $100 with extra if expediting was required.

Even though I liked it before when border crossing was a simple matter, probably should have always used passports. That was, after all, the purpose ... to provide reasonably safe identification of a person traveling outside their country. I guess I'm not terribly upset by the requirement. I always hated digging around to find a copy of my birth certificate to take with me. :(

I agree that very small children should be able to travel on their parents passports. Silly to have them for a child that within a year no longer looks like their picture. Thats goofy.

This is what I found our government wants today at 21:24 EST. (Better check again tomorrow)


Make sure photo presents full head from top of hair to bottom of chin; height of head should measure 1 inch to 1-3/8 inches (25 mm to 35 mm)

Center head within frame (see Figure 2 below)


Make sure eye height is between 1-1/8 inches to 1-3/8 inches (28 mm and 35 mm) from bottom of photo


Photograph subject against a plain white or off-white background


Position subject and lighting so that there are no distracting shadows on the face or background


Encourage subject to have a natural expression

Lucky for me, our passport office has their own photo service, so I just let them do it...didn't wanna give them any other excuses for sending us to the back of the line...

I hope you're not going on the QE2 !