<p>Question for anyone who knows–to get a passport I know you need 2 photos of yourself (I’ve read the site), but when they say that, do they mean you can have a photo taken with a digital camera? Or you absolutely have to go to a professional photographer and have your photo taken by them?</p>
<p>They can be pretty picky about the photo size & other details. You may want to consider going to a local Walgreens, CVS or similar drugstore - in our neighborhood, you can get a pair of passport photos for $8 .</p>
<p>Whatever you do make sure you give yourself lots of time. A friend applied for a renewal in early Jan. He finally had it in his hands late last week. It was delivered the afternoon before his scheduled air departure.</p>
<p>Be careful at the pharmacies. DS went there and the pictures were the wrong size (even though they clearly said “passport size”). Some post offices have total passport service including someone to take the pictures.</p>
<p>also, if going through a post office, which we did, you need to make an appointment in some cases, so check on that in your city and depending on the city, it may take a couple of weeks for the appointments</p>
<p>and it is easy to just go to those photo places and get the pictures done- the right angle, size etc, then you knows it right</p>
<p>see the head has to be a certain size in the picture, not just the actual paper size</p>
<p>how old are you, if under 18, you need parents to go with </p>
<p>you can down load the forms, etc</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure that you have to go somewhere where they take passport pictures–we just went to the supermarket, because they specifically offered passport picture and a (nice, but very ditzy) clerk took them. Nothing to put on display, but they got the job done.</p>
<p>the passport office at our local post office took your photo right there (for a fee of course). That way you know you have the right kind of photo.</p>
<p>Then why does the website say if you pay a rush fee you can get it in like 2 weeks? Am I reading something wrong here?</p>
<p>Also, thanks for the responses thus far.</p>
<p>you used to be able to get in 2 weks rush and 6 wks reg. after the law change the us passport agency says 4-6 wks for rush and 10 wks regular. it takes a few months so be prepared to wait and file soon since people are filing fo rthe summer travel season now. the cost is 97 for reg and 167 for priotity</p>
<p>Hi pollyo, yes I remember seeing that somewhere on the site, but now it says 2 weeks again (if I looked at the right page).</p>
<p>S went for passport last December and was told six weeks. He got his in about three weeks. It was a very busy traveling period. Right now, it might take 2 weeks, but it’s better to err on the safe side.</p>
<p>Oh, and he went to CVS to get his passport photos.</p>
<p>The postoffice will take your photos right there. They say upto 10 weeks to get your passport, but it could be 4-6 if you are lucky.</p>
<p>Costco charges $4.50 for 2 photos, and Target charges $14.00!!!</p>
<p>What specific travel date do you have Bluealien?</p>
<p>I don’t really have a travel date really. I was told they were good for 10 years, so you cannot just get one and keep it until next summer? </p>
<p>That and I once had the random idea of going somewhere in June (obviously not happening if it takes months to get a passport). Yeah, I’m not too good with planning anything.</p>
<p>Our CVS takes passport photo’s, but the post office does not. I had ours taken at AAA. If you have AAA plus there is no charge - or at least there wasn’t when we did them a few years ago.</p>
<p>I got mine a few weeks ago at AAA - we’re not PLUS members, just regular and it was $12 I think. I sitting on pins and needles to see if I get it in time - for May 3. I submitted March 6 - had NO idea it took so long!!!</p>
<p>bluealien:</p>
<p>Once you are 18, your passport is valid for ten years. Under 18, the passport is valid for only 5 years. So you could certainly use it again next year.</p>
<p>If you start applying now, you should get your passport by June. Equally important if you plan on traveling by air will be to reserve a flight. Doing so early reduces the cost of travel very considerably (put another way, buy your ticket too close to the date of travel and see the fares rocket)</p>
<p>You can get your passport and never ever use it…you can use it 50 times a year, makes no difference</p>
<p>I would get it now, so that you have it, stuff comes up</p>
<p>I also recommend that every college student have a passport, becuase those opportunities for study abroad can come up quickly, and worrying about getting your passport in time can be annoying</p>
<p>If you have an emergency, yes, you can rush a passport, but then you need to go into the federal offices, with tickets in hand saying you are traveling within something like two weeks, say for a funeral or something</p>
<p>seems the federal offices are saved for those kind of applications and other “unusual” circumstances</p>
<p>the post office worked really well, no line, no hastle and the person was very nice</p>
<p>my Ds got their passports, third for one, second for the other, within 4 weeks</p>
<p>and with mexico and canada travel requiring them now, silly not to have one</p>
<p>Print off the nice little diagram that the State department issues for passport photographs. Take it to the photographer.</p>
<p>Call the passport office and ask them if there is a way to expedite a rush for a June trip.</p>
<p>It just took about 10 weeks for us to receive a passport for my son, which we applied for in mid January, thinking I would get it by the end of Feb. (It used to take about six weeks before this new law.) So allow 10 to 12 weeks for the slow passport application and a month for the expedited. If you have travel plans, don’t procrastinate on the passport application.</p>