I Don’t Have a Passport. Do I Need One?

You will need to get one to travel internationally. Don’t wait to do this; the process now takes 8-11 weeks. You can expedite by paying an extra $60, but even then you’ll have to wait 5-7 weeks.

The State Department Passport website will walk you through all the steps required.

Briefly, you’ll need to do the following:

• Print form Form DS-11 and fill it out

• Get a passport photo taken (CVS offers this as a walk-in service for $14.99 at many locations)

• Find a passport acceptance facility near you and make an appointment to drop off form DS-11, your photo, and all required identification documents. Bring a checkbook, don’t expect to be able to pay with cash or credit - you’ll have to pay $130 for a passport and a $35 “acceptance” fee. If you want a passport card, that’s another $30.

Once that’s done, your passport will be mailed to you via USPS in 5-7 (expedited) or 8-11 weeks.

I Have Children. Does This Apply to Them?

Yes. Children must have passports, there is no age minimum. If you are under 16, you are considered a child, and the passport fee is $100 instead of $130. The passport card is $15 instead of $30.

There’s an Option to Get a Passport Card. What’s the Deal With That?

A passport card is a federally-accepted form of photo ID that’s the same size as your driver’s license. While you can use it for identification to get into US-adjacent countries (Mexico, Canada) and a few others, you cannot use it the same way as your passport book. Don’t expect to get into Europe with just your card.

In our opinion, the benefit of the card is:

• It’s an additional “strong” form of ID to have just in case you need it

• Starting in 2023, to board domestic flights, PA residents will need to either upgrade their driver’s license to conform to Real ID (federal) standards, or carry federal ID like a passport or a passport card

• There is no effort required to get it other than checking off a box on the DS-11 form and paying an extra $30

For what it’s worth, we each have a passport card.

I Have a Passport But it Expires Soon/Is Expired. How Do I Renew?

The rule of thumb is you should renew 9 months prior to expiration. A special case to consider is that some countries require your passport to be valid for some amount of time after your date of travel, e.g. 6 months. Specifically for Portugal, your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after your date of travel. Your airline will turn you away at the airport if your passport isn’t valid for long enough.

Check out the State Department website for instructions. You can do it entirely by mail.

• Print form Form DS-82 and fill it out

• Get a passport photo taken (CVS offers this as a walk-in service for $14.99 at many locations)

• Send the completed Form DS-82, a photo, a check, and your old passport/card to the State Department via USPS priority mail (just bring all your stuff to the Post Office and they can help you).

Just like getting a new passport, you’ll have to wait 8-11 weeks (or 5-7 weeks if you pay $60 to expedite).

What’s Global Entry?

Global Entry is a program offered by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) where you become a “Trusted Traveler” and can re-enter the United States after international travel without having to wait in long Customs lines.

What this means in practice is you get off the plane, walk up to a self-service kiosk, do a biometric scan, and walk right out. After a 6 hour flight home, the last thing you want to do is stand in line for an hour.

As a bonus, Global Entry includes TSA Pre-Check, which means that you can skip the normal security lines when departing from most US Airports. This is a great feature. When departing, look for the Pre-Check security lines (they are very short!) When you go through the security scan, you don’t have to take off your shoes, take out your bag of liquids, take off your belt, etc. (you will still need to take out your laptop). In our experience, we get through security in about 10 minutes instead of an hour or more.

Once you have Global Entry and/or TSA Pre-Check, make sure you enter your Trusted Traveler Number when booking your airline tickets so your boarding pass reflects Trusted Traveler status!

How Does Signup Work?

• You will need to have a valid Passport in order to sign up - make sure you have that first!

• Go to the DHS Trusted Traveler website and click “Get Started” under Global Entry and it will walk you through the process

• The DHS will perform a background check

• You will have to do an in-person interview at the airport

  • If you’re near Philadelphia, the interviews take place in Terminal A West in the International Arrivals section on the 3rd floor

  • Interviews are scheduled in advance. You don’t do them right before you get on your flight, you will need to make a one-off trip to the airport

  • The interview questions are basic and confirm things like your DOB, SSN, employment history. You won’t mess it up unless you deliberately lie

  • The DHS will collect some form of biometric information from you, e.g. a palm/fingerprint scan

• You must pay a fee of $100

I Have Children. Does This Apply to Them?

Short answer:

• All family members regardless of age must be enrolled in Global Entry to receive benefits - if you want to do this, make sure you get it for your kids too!

• In contrast, TSA Pre-Check benefits are automatically extended to children under 12