When traveling outside the United States, it helps to have a passport. Even if you don’t plan to travel anytime soon, having a passport can make your life much easier. In order to get your passport, you first have to fill out a passport application. There are two options, one for those applying for the first time and one for those just renewing.

Finding the right application and following the necessary steps can easily be done by visiting your local library. Most but not all post offices also carry passport applications. Some will also have times when they take your photo and process the applications on-site. It is best to call or look on-line to see what options the post office nearest you has available.

If you are computer savvy, you can locate an application on-line. Search for U. S. Passport on your web search engine. Government sponsored sites allow you to download an application and instructions for free. There are also several non-government sites that will pop up. These will help you through the steps to obtain an application and passport but there will be an additional fee for downloading their guidelines with the application.

If this is the first time you have applied or are under the age of 16, you will need to submit your application in person. As part of the process you will need to bring two pictures, and valid forms of identification. Consult the instructions for a list of acceptable methods of verifying your identity. If you had a passport previously but it has expired and the original issue date is more than 15 years ago, you will also have to apply in person. If you just need to renew one not already expired, or one less than 15 years since issuance and there have been no name changes, you can send your application by mail along with your fee and original passport. A new one will be issued and mailed to you.

There are several levels of processing depending on when you will be traveling. If you don’t have to travel out of the country for a month or more, you can pay the standard fee and follow the routine process. It generally takes between four to six weeks to receive your passport and possibly longer during summer when more people travel. If a trip abroad came up unexpectedly and it is less than four weeks away, apply under the expedited process. This will require an additional fee for overnight delivery with tracking capability. The pass ports will be sent in the mail within two or three weeks, and arrive via overnight delivery. If a family or work emergency requires you to travel even sooner, you must set up an appointment at a passport agency. These are located in most major cities.

There is a standard fee to process your application and for the passport booklet, or card. The fee varies depending on whether it is your first time applying or if you are renewing. Having the freedom to travel whenever you want and to almost anywhere in the world you would like is well worth the small investment. Also, once you receive your passport, it is good for 10 years if you are over the age of 16. If younger, it is valid for five years.

Of course expedited or direct agency processing will cost you more than the routine method so plan ahead or make sure you really have to travel on your desired dates. When you travel for work, whether it be a private company or government, you should be able to ask for reimbursement. Often your agency or company will have a person on staff with the expertise or duty to help you.

An additional plus to being able to travel outside the country whenever you want is that your passport often makes it easier when you are applying for jobs, or need to show identification to verify your citizenship. Since you need to produce a birth certificate and other forms of identification for the new passport form, having this kind of identification in your pocket is sometimes all you need. After all is said and done, for reasonable cost and a small amount of time, applying for a passport is a great idea.