The process required for obtaining a passport has become more complicated and comprehensive than ever before. This has happened in part because of increased border security measures that have been put in place since the attacks of September 11, 2001. These new regulations are making some people hesitant to apply for a passport or for changes to their passport, but something like a passport name change does not have to be daunting.
It is quite straightforward in most cases to apply for changes to your passport and it is normally also quite affordable. Most of the common changes that people need to apply for do not even require a fee and only a short form is required to process the change. There are fees that are imposed for certain changes and to have these changes done in a speedy fashion there is also a small fee.
Quite commonly passports arrive with printing errors like misspellings or incorrect information. It is important to get these issues fixed as soon as possible, but these changes can be made any time during the valid dates on the passport. The DS-5504 form is the form you will need to have to get these changes processed. This form can be picked up at a post office and dropped back off at one. You can also simply print it out online and mail it to the address on the form.
One of the most common changes that is made to passports every day is a name change. When a marriage or divorce takes place after the passport is issued, the passport holder must apply for a name change. If expedited service is not needed then there is no charge for this change. The DS-5504 form is the form that must be used if the change is being made less than 365 days after passport issuance. This is the form that is used for changes to a passport due to a printing error and can be found at a post office or on the Internet. This form can be mailed or returned to the post office.
If it has been more than one year since your passport was issued and you need a name change, there will be a small fee for the service. Expedited service will add $60 to this fee. The DS-82 form will be required for this sort of passport name change. You can fill this form out at the post office and pay the fees there or you can fill out the form and mail it with the fee included.
Sometimes additional Vista pages are needed to be added and this can be done anytime a passport is valid. There is no fee for this change, but a $60 fee will be added for expedited service. There is no time limit for when this must be done or extra fees after a certain amount of time has passed since issuance.
Passports normally cost $95 for the application and another $25 for issuance. To expedite a passport or for any changes to a passport it will cost $60. Citizenship can be verified for $60.00 and your passport book can be overnighted to you for under $15. These fees are not very high considering what you are paying for.
Most changes to American passport are free of charge and can also be processed quickly if needed for a small fee. Making changes to your passport does not have to cause unneeded complications. Although it has become a bit more complicated to acquire a American passport name change, it is still relatively easy to make changes to one.
