Want to avoid the potentially imminent increases if passport fees? Clear your schedule for Saturday, March 27, as all 23 regional passport offices will be open to the public in honor of Passport Day in the USA. Any citizen in need of a passport can walk into any of these 23 offices without an appointment between 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. A list of these office locations can be found at http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_4312.html.
The State Department formally announced its proposal to increase U.S. passport fees in order to fully recover its costs for producing these travel documents. The State Department said it intends to implement its proposed new fees as soon as practicable after it reviews public comments, but certainly not before April.
A summary of some of the proposed fee increases for both the passport book and card are as follows:
* First-time Passport Book for Adult - Increasing from $100 to $135
* Renewal Passport Book for Adult - Increasing from $75 to $110
* Passport Book for Minors - Increases from $60 to $105
* Passport Card for Adult - From $20 to $30
* Passport Card for Minors - From $10 to $15
The National Association of Passport and Visa Services (NAPVS) member companies routinely help employees of the Fortune 1000, federal and state government agencies and national nonprofit organizations who need their passports and visas within 24 hours or 48 hours.
The NAPVS website (http://napvs.org/passport) lists and links to all member company sites to help the traveling consumer compare services and fees.