HEADING ABROAD FOR THE HOLIDAYS? APPLY FOR YOUR PASSPORT NOW

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version Share this

 

Source: County of San Diego’s News Service

November 16, 2014 (San Diego)--If you’re planning to travel out of the country over the holidays, now is the time to apply for your passport book or card, the County advises.

The County Clerk offers passport walk-in services with no appointment necessary at its office at 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 402 in downtown San Diego. The service is offered from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding County holidays.

Thomas Pastuszka, County Clerk, says “It can take four to six weeks to get a routine passport. To reduce the added stress and pressure of the holidays, we encourage people to apply for passports now, before the holiday break begins.”

A passport book is required for international air travel  and for crossing the international borders into Mexico or Canada.

A passport card is often used in communities where crossing the border is a daily occurrence but can also be used at U.S. land and sea ports-of-entry for travelers arriving from Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda. This can save you hours of waiting.

To quickly process your passport application, be prepared with the following:

  1. Completed Application: But do NOT sign the form ahead of time.
  2. Proof of U.S. Citizenship: Such as a birth certificate, Certificate of Naturalization, or one of several other specific documents.
  3. Proof of Identity:  This must be a government or state-issued identification or a prior passport.
  4. Passport Photo: The office provides passport photo services.
  5. Payment: Forms of payment are cash, check or money order only. Credit and debit cards are not accepted.

All applicants must appear in Person.  There are special requirements for children under age 16.

Free, three-hour parking is available at the County Administration Center. The parking garage entrance is on Ash Street between North Harbor Drive and Pacific Highway.

In the event of an emergency involving a family member abroad, a short-notice airfare bargain, or an unexpected business trip, having a valid U.S. passport on hand will save you time, money and stress.  Apply for your passport or card now and check this item off your holiday to-do list. 

You can find additional information on the Clerk of the Board’s Passport Application web page

 


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.