Passport fees are going up July 13

By Kitty Bean Yancey, USA TODAY

Get that expiring passport renewed quickly: Charges for U.S. passports and visas for foreigners will rise July 13, the U.S. Department of State says.

That means the cost of a passport for an adult will go from $100 to $135, including a $25 administrative fee. Those under 16 will pay $105 with the fee, up from $85 now.

Passport cards, which can be used by Americans traveling by land or sea on trips to the non-U.S. parts of the Caribbean, Canada and Mexico will cost more, too. The new scale is $55 for an adult, up from $45; $40 for a minor, up from $35.

A complete list of the new fees can be viewed here.

A State Department news release says the higher fees stem from a study of how much it costs the Bureau of Consular Affairs to provide services and that the new fee scale will "cover actual operating expenses for the 301 overseas consular posts, 23 domestic passport agencies and other centers that provide these consular services to U.S. and foreign citizens."

Frequent travelers will also be hit by a new charge of $82 to add more pages to an existing passport for visas and stamps by immigration officers.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency (CPB) has issued a "know before you go" advisory for those traveling to Canada and back this week. It's a big travel time for the two countries, with Canada Day on Thursday and Fourth of July Sunday. U.S. citizens under 16 need only a birth certificate when traveling by land or sea; adults, a passport, a passport card, enhanced driver's license or membership in a "trusted traveler" program. For more info, see the CPB website.

What if you lose or forget the required documents and try to get back into the USA? (That's always been a fear of mine). You won't be turned away if your citizenship or legal residency can be established, says CPB spokeswoman Joanne Ferreira. You just may have to wait longer while your identity is checked.

Posted Jun 30 2010 1:18PM

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