How does it Cost to Get a US Passport?

Passport fees vary depending on how quickly you need your passport and the type of passport required. If you want to expedite your processing time (expedited passport), you will be charged a different fee than applying for a regular service (routine passport).

Furthermore, the standard processing times for the US Department of State remain more extended than usual. Routine processing can take anywhere from 8 to 11 weeks. Consider expediting your passport if your travel plans require you to have your passport sooner. Passport expediting through a third-party hand courier can take anywhere from 1-2 weeks to 8 weeks.

Passport fees, however, are subject to change, and keeping track of the cost of a passport can be difficult. It is also critical to check the current price before beginning the application. Continue reading to learn more about the cost of a passport. This article summarizes all of the possible costs that you should consider when obtaining a US passport.

What Is the Price of a Passport?

As previously stated, the answer to this question depends on the type of passport service you require, how quickly you require your passport, and the specific passport type required. The standard processing times for the US Department of State are usually longer. It can last between 4-6 weeks and 8-12 weeks.

However, if you want to shorten your processing time (expedited passport), a different price will be charged than when applying for a regular service (routine passport). Furthermore, the time it takes to expedite a passport through a third-party hand courier can range from 1-2 weeks to 8 weeks or longer. Nonetheless, we will go over this further below.

Other services that you may require are also among the factors that influence how much a passport costs. However, when calculating the cost of obtaining a US passport, applicants frequently consider only the required fees paid to the US government. Then, disregarding any additional costs associated with obtaining a passport.

What are the Types of Fees Required for a Passport?

The cost varies depending on the passport service you choose, but make sure you know what you are paying for in your application process. Moreover, below are the types of fees you may need to pay when applying for a passport.

General passport fees include fees that apply to most passport applications. They are as follows:

1) Acceptance Agent Commission

When applying for a new passport, a child passport, or a replacement for a lost or stolen passport, you must not sign your application form. You will be required to make an appointment at the nearest Acceptance Agent Facility. The acceptance agent (typically a post office or a county clerk) will verify the applicant's identity, witness signatures, and review required documents. Following that, you will be required to pay the agent a fee for his services. The execution fee is $35 and must be paid at the acceptance agent facility, which is typically the post office or county clerk.

2) Fee for Application

This is the mandatory fee levied by the US government for the passport application process. It is paid directly to the US Department of State. The amount you pay, however, is determined by your age and whether you want a passport book, a card, or both.

3) Passport Services on Short Notice (Special Service Fees)

There are times when it is necessary to obtain a passport faster than the standard processing time. For example, if you need to travel sooner and cannot wait 12-16 weeks, you can use the expedited service.

To begin, you must pay an extra $60 to expedite or accelerate the processing of a passport application. This will save several weeks of processing time. The standard processing time for an expedited passport through the post office is 4-6 weeks. There are, however, additional options if you require your passport even sooner.

What Is the Cost of Getting a Passport?

Furthermore, the fees listed below apply only in exceptional circumstances. The sections that follow will explain how much a passport costs for each circumstance or service that the US Department of State and the Acceptance Agent facility will charge.

Applicants aged 16 or older and are applying for the first time

Applicants aged 16 and older are eligible for adult passports. They will need to pay two fees — an application fee and an acceptance fee. The list below shows the fees for applying for various kinds of passports.

Passport Book:

• Application fee: $130
• Acceptance (execution) fee: $35

Passport Card:

• Application fee: $30
• Acceptance (execution) fee: $35

Passport Book and Card:

• Application fee: $160
• Acceptance (execution) fee: $35

Applicants aged 16 or older renewing their passports

Adult applicants (16 and older) residing in the US applying for passport renewal must apply by mail. To renew your passport by mail, you must submit your application within 5 years of the expiry of your old passport. Moreover, you must still have your old passport in a usable, undamaged state. However, applicants aged 16-17 must apply in person using Form DS-11 because their previous passport was issued before they turned 16 years old. Meanwhile, the application fees for renewing an adult passport are as follows:

Passport Book:

• Application fee: $130

Passport Card:

• Application fee: $30

Passport Book and Card:

• Application fee: $160

Moreover, keep in mind that these fees only apply to adult applicants renewing their passports. However, if your previous passport was a child's passport, then it cannot be renewed. So, you will have to apply for a new adult passport.

Applicants changing or correcting their passport

When applying for a US passport, make sure that the biographical details in your passport must match your legal identity. Any misspellings or incorrect information can cause problems when, for instance, buying air tickets. Moreover, you may also need to change the details in your passport if you get married or change your legal name. Therefore, in this case, you need to apply for a new passport with applicable changes made.

Below are the fees for applying to make changes or corrections to your passport:

• Name Change: Same fees as passport renewal. Moreover, you can also use the free calculator to learn how much you owe. However, you may need to complete either Form DS-11, DS-82, or DS-5504, depending on your situation. Click here for details on which form you need to submit.
• Correct Data Error: $0 You do not have to pay if a processing or printing error causes information on your passport to be incorrect, or unreadable. You will also need to submit form DS-5504.

What are the Payment Methods for US Passports?

The United State Department of State accepts different forms of payment for the passport application fee. But the specific payment methods available depend on how and where you apply. Below is the list of accepted forms of payment methods for passport fees under various circumstances.

Applying in person at a passport acceptance facility (Post office, government office, library)

To pay for the application and special services such as expediting your application:

• Checks (personal, certified, cashier's, traveler's) or money orders payable to "U.S. Department of State"
• Credit and debit cards are not accepted.

However, ensure that you check with your acceptance facility to learn what form of payment they will accept before you apply.

Applying or renewing at a passport agency

You can pay using:

• Credit Cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover) and Debit Cards displaying the Visa or MasterCard logo
• Checks (personal, certified, cashiers, travelers), payable to "U.S. Department of State"
• Money orders (U.S. Postal, international, currency exchanges), payable to "U.S. Department of State"
• Cash (exact amount only- no change provided)
• Pre-paid credit card or gift card displaying the Visa or MasterCard logo

Renewing by mail

To pay for your renewal application and special services such as expediting your application:

• Checks (personal, certified, cashier's, traveler's) or money orders payable to "U.S. Department of State"

You cannot pay passport application fees online at the moment, regardless of where or how you submit your application.

Conclusion

Finally, the answer to the question we posed at the start of this article, "how much does a passport cost," remains the same. It is determined by the type of passport service you require, the urgency with which you require your passport, and the specific passport type required. Furthermore, the length of time it takes to obtain a passport is determined by the service you select.

If you apply for a routine passport, the processing time can range between 12 and 16 weeks, depending on the volume of applications. That's all there is to the cost of obtaining a US passport. You can sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications about new posts. You can also look at other articles like this one.