Passport renewal
- Thread starter LoriB
- Start date
Passport should be valid for at least 3 months beyond date of departure, 6 months recommended for Schengen. http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/go/schengen-fact-sheet.html
LoriB
Level 2 Member
Thanks, Matt! Looks like I'll be renewing my passport prior to my trip. I had no idea about the Schengen countries being so strict.
I've had trouble in other countries too, its not just them.. some get snarky when they can't have an entirely clear full page available too.
LoriB
Level 2 Member
Ahhh...you just brought back memories of my last passport and having to make an emergency trip to the US embassy to have pages added when Russia would not add a visa onto my amendment pages. Of course, this was a week prior to my trip! Snarky, indeed...
I'd go and get it renewed before you leave, more than enough time to get it done before May. If you're lucky and live near one of the regional centers you can get it done in 1-3 days (with ticket showing you are leaving in under 2 weeks). I've done that a few times for myself and my son, visit family in NY and fly out of JFK. NYC is one of the 9 regional centers, so I just go down a day or two early and get my passport renewed same day (extra 60USD).
Some countries require 6 months beyond date of DEPARTURE from their country.
Some countries require 6 months beyond date of DEPARTURE from their country.
I had a similar situation with a visa to India. I too found out that amendment pages do not count for visas. My passport was within a year of expiring and I chose to get a new one rather than add pages. That was the first time I even had heard of adding pages. My current passport has two additions now. Just a heads up, if you travel a lot internationally and you do decide to get a new one, you can now order a larger size initially. Upon renewing check the box for the 52 page "for those who frequently travel abroad" versus the standard 32 page one.
On a related note, ever since I ran into this in South Africa I've been so pissed off when the immigration folk just stamp a new page willy nilly with small/reg sized ink stamps vs filling up a page nicely. I think in JoBurg I had to talk them into pasting over a page that had a faded stamp on it.
LoriB
Level 2 Member
Thank you for the info! I'm sending it in tomorrow.
LoriB
Level 2 Member
It is nice to have the option now!
LoriB
Level 2 Member
I hope you have the passport with the extra pages!
I actually still need to get a US Passport... its on the list.
LoriB
Level 2 Member
It's fantastic that you're able to have more than one!
AZTravelGuy
Level 2 Member
It's a minor thing but it's a common pet peeve. Why is it so difficult for some immigration people to go in page order or even make sure a stamp has enough ink? (Or not so much red ink that it bleeds through two pages. Looking at you, Bermuda!)
My simple solution now is a paperclip. I clip all the unused pages together before handing it over so it opens immediately to the first page with space. Only once has someone removed the paperclip but he still seemingly got the hint and carefully stamped exactly within one quadrant of a page.
AZTravelGuy
Level 2 Member
I swear I read somewhere the US wants to remove the option to add additional 24 page booklets. The argument was that since no other country allows this then neither should the US. It's a moot point to me anyway once it was no longer free to do so.
$82 to add 24 pages or $110 ($140 w/ card) to renew and get a 52 page passport (48 visa pages). No brainer. Only if you remember to tick the box for the larger one, of course. If you don't, the irony is $82 for 24 added pages of $110 for 17 new usable pages in a 28 page passport. Stupid.
When you add the 28 page additions, more than 17 are usable. I really like the feature of adding new pages instead of getting a new passport. Have done it twice with my current one.
Yeah, I'm on the fence right now about adding pages or getting a new passport. I have a visa for Brazil in my current one, and I would really like to get a 10 year visa for China, but don't really want to carry around 2 passports when I don't have to. A 28 page addition would be more than enough for the remainder of my passport's life (about 5 years). But, if I get a new one, I could get a 52 and it would definitely be enough for 10 more years. I would have to carry around 2 after that, but only when going to Brazil as I could put the China visa in the new passport. I would also have a new picture and would not wear my glasses in the new one, I've been having trouble with the Oz/NZ smartgates as my passport picture has glasses, but wearing them causes errors at the smartgate due to glare.
Of course, I requested a 52 pager when I got mine in the first place and they gave me the 28 page passport, so they could just do that again to me
.I believe yours actually lets you into more countries visa-free than a US passport does, surprisingly enough. At least for traveling, I'd probably rather have what you have instead of a US passport. You don't have to pay $160 to Brazil or Argentina for visas
(and yes I know why it is that way and my irritation is not placed at their governments, it is placed at my own).
Yeah, wife hates it when we travel. I get treated way betterI believe yours actually lets you into more countries visa-free than a US passport does, surprisingly enough. At least for traveling, I'd probably rather have what you have instead of a US passport. You don't have to pay $160 to Brazil or Argentina for visas
I'd only get one as a souvenir and likely rarely travel on one.
Yeah, wife hates it when we travel. I get treated way better
UK is definitely the best one to have, but US is not too shabby either...I believe yours actually lets you into more countries visa-free than a US passport does, surprisingly enough. At least for traveling, I'd probably rather have what you have instead of a US passport. You don't have to pay $160 to Brazil or Argentina for visas
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/10928261/Britain-tops-list-of-worlds-most-powerful-passports.html
Yes, I have the 10 year Brazil visa in my huge 7o something page passport so when it expires, I will need to take it with me for quite some time as well. I also want to get the China 10 year, but likely will just put it in this one as I still have a few years left on it before it expires. It will likely depend on what crazy fare I find on a flight and I will go get the visa to do that trip to China anyway. I tend to do a lot of spontaneous travel so I doubt I will be likely to plan the acquisition of the China visa anyway!Yeah, I'm on the fence right now about adding pages or getting a new passport. I have a visa for Brazil in my current one, and I would really like to get a 10 year visa for China, but don't really want to carry around 2 passports when I don't have to. A 28 page addition would be more than enough for the remainder of my passport's life (about 5 years). But, if I get a new one, I could get a 52 and it would definitely be enough for 10 more years. I would have to carry around 2 after that, but only when going to Brazil as I could put the China visa in the new passport. I would also have a new picture and would not wear my glasses in the new one, I've been having trouble with the Oz/NZ smartgates as my passport picture has glasses, but wearing them causes errors at the smartgate due to glare.
Of course, I requested a 52 pager when I got mine in the first place and they gave me the 28 page passport, so they could just do that again to me
AZTravelGuy
Level 2 Member
Additional US passport pages come in 24 page (12 pages front/back) booklets unless something has changed in the past year. They're labeled page A through X. A standard passport has 28 pages with 17 usable for stamps (pages 8-24). The larger passport is 52 pages has 43 (pages 8-51) visa pages.
If you like the additional pages added, that's great and I'm not suggesting you shouldn't. It's still economically better to renew and get a new 52 page passport for $110 versus paying $82 for the extra pages (again, unless something changed recently). That was my primary point. I haven't added pages since it stopped being free to do so.
El Turk
Level 14 Insurance Salesman
Actually, as of the most recent full blown survey, the US and UK passports are tied:
https://www.henleyglobal.com/files/download/hvri/HP Visa Restrictions Index 140728.pdf
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Mountain Trader
Level 2 Member
Amen, brother. I think in the French immigration training classes they practice looking for an unused page.
druiddation
Level 2 Member
I'd advise using UPS or FedEx to send in your passport. I recently sent mine to Philadelphia for renewal by USPS 2-day mail. 9 days later it arrived in Texas and 2 days after that finally made it to Philadelphia.
I don't travel as much internationally as you guys. In my first trip to Europe, I found the French immigration officers to be nicer than the UK's. It surprised me how the French pretty much didn't care, didn't ask me any questions when we arrived in CDG. Maybe because it was 5 am?!
While for entering the UK, I was given a questionnaire, and I almost wasn't allowed to pass because the immigration officer wanted me to show her my flight ticket back to the US. I was taking a train from France to London, spending a couple of days in London, and then coming back to Paris. I did show her my return train ticket (London to Paris), but she wanted the flight ticket from Paris to NYC! Maybe it is my fault, but I've never been asked to provide evidence of a return flight when entering a country. Lesson learned: when entering the UK, bring a lot of papers
While for entering the UK, I was given a questionnaire, and I almost wasn't allowed to pass because the immigration officer wanted me to show her my flight ticket back to the US. I was taking a train from France to London, spending a couple of days in London, and then coming back to Paris. I did show her my return train ticket (London to Paris), but she wanted the flight ticket from Paris to NYC! Maybe it is my fault, but I've never been asked to provide evidence of a return flight when entering a country. Lesson learned: when entering the UK, bring a lot of papers
CKaway
Level 2 Member
You can actually get 48 added pages for $80. I just had them added to my 52 page passport. Here is the info from the State Dept web site: “To add additional pages, you must submit form DC-4085 with your current passport and fees. You can request one or two packets of 24 blank pages to be added for the same price.”
druiddation
Level 2 Member
The top of that form DC-4085 online has a box to check for the 48 pages. The last time I had pages added was at an embassy overseas and I forgot to bring that form with me from my hotel room. The same form at the embassy didn't have the box to check for 48 pages and I wasn't able to convince them that their own website says you can get 48 and they would only give me 24.
I'm really not looking forward to not having the option to add pages after the end of this year.
I'm really not looking forward to not having the option to add pages after the end of this year.
I asked for 48 at the consulate in Lisbon, Portugal and filled out all the correct paperwork. They would only give me 24. So two years later, I went back to the same consulate and got another 24.