The Easy Route To Extra US Passport Pages

19 Jul

Posted by admin as Disneyland Packages

When travelers are on their way out the door headed to the airport is not an ideal time to realize that new passport pages must be added to their passbooks. Anyone planning a trip requiring a passport should check the passbook to see if it needs more pages. These can be ordered and received with time left to spare before the trip, avoiding a potentially stressful situation.

When the passbook contains only two to four blank pages, it is time to get a refill. If the passbook is not due for renewal, the holder will need to have more blank sheets added to the current document. Those who do not travel frequently must remember to complete this task well in advance of embarking on an international trip.

Requesting additional sheets is not a complicated process and it can be done in several ways at varying costs. The passbook holder should go to the Web site for the Department of State and download form DS-4085. This form may be printed and legibly completed by hand or it may be filled out online and then printed. Mail is the only way to submit the completed form because electronic means are not currently accepted.

Passport holders who do not have access to a computer with Internet service will need to visit a local Passport Agency or the site of an Acceptance Facility to obtain form DS-4085. Both this form and the U.S. passport will need to be mailed to the government in order to get the additional passport pages. This is where the different costs come into play.. Having the information processed by the government using its standard service will not cost the passbook holder anything. The only charge will be for a traceable mail delivery service that the government recommends.

The government is currently working within a four to six week turnaround time for processing additional sheets. If a passbook holder needs the updated document within two to three weeks, he or she can pay a $60.00 fee for expedited government processing. To ensure that the item is provided expedited handling, “expedite” should be written on the outside of the envelope. The package should be sent using an overnight mail service.

Travelers who are especially crunched for time should consider using a private company to speed the process of getting additional sheets for the passbook. These services can return the updated passbook to the traveler within two business days or less. However, getting this rush processing will cost the traveler several hundred dollars plus shipping charges, in addition to the $60.00 government expedited processing fee.

The forms required by the private company include the DS-4085, an authorization document, and possibly proof of travel. The authorization form serves as verification that the passbook holder has allowed the private company to handle the processing of the documents directly with the government. Proof of travel is required only of those who request less than a seven business day turnaround for the passbook. It includes either a verification letter from an employer regarding business travel, travel itinerary, or copy of the plane ticket.

The process of getting new United States passport pages is not complicated, but it does require some time. It is best that a passbook holder complete and submit the DS-4085 form and passbook to the government as soon as the need for additional sheets is discovered. Expedited government processing or use of the rush service provided by a private company are alternatives that will shorten the processing time.