Globe Post Office Passport Fairs

On 2 consecutive Saturdays, Oct. 21st, & 28th, Globe Postmaster Susan Kulak will host 2 Passport Fairs at the Globe Post Office, 101 S. Hill St., offering passport application services & passport photos. The events will be from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. both Saturdays.

Appointments are not required for the 2 special events, however, they are accepted for passport services available at the Globe Post Office every weekday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Appointments may be made in person or by calling the Post Office at (928) 425-2381.

Kulak noted that with new federal passport travel rules for international travel due at the start of 2007, customers are urged to apply for passports as soon as possible - at least 2 months before their departure date. Applying early also allows customers to avoid extra fees required by the U.S. State Department to expedite a passport application.

Normally, passport application fees total $97 for adults (16 years and older), with separate payments of $67 paid to the State Dept. for the passport application fee; & $30 to the U.S. Postal Service for its processing fee. For persons under age 16, the total cost is $82 with separate payments of $52 & $30 respectively. For expedited passport service, add $88.80 for each application ($60 goes to the State Dept. for rush fees & $28.80 is for Express Mail postage costs).

Passport photos can also be obtained at the Globe Post Office for just $15, allowing customers to make the application process a convenient one-stop task, Kulak said.

To ensure the passport process goes smoothly & efficiently, Kulak offers these tips:

· Bring proper proof of American citizenship or naturalization. This must be either a state-issued certified birth certificate - available by contacting the State Dept. of Health of your state of birth; a previous official passport; or a naturalization certificate if you are foreign-born. (Please note: a hospital-issued birth certificate is not acceptable.)
· Bring 1 officially-acceptable state or government photo ID - this can be either a driver’s license, military photo ID, or state-issued photo ID. Workplace IDs & regular photos are not acceptable.
· To save time, download passport application documents at usps.com/passport & fill out the application before bringing it to the Post Office.

The application process at the Post Office can take as little as 10 minutes, provided applicants apply early and have all the correct documentation. All applications are sent to the U.S. State Department for final processing & approval.