@maique Very sorry you couldn't keep those amazing stamps. The US gives them back with a giant hole stamped into the old one.
@gregmoore We donât get that, but I keep asking. The only way to do it is by lying. Going to the police and reporting it as lost/stolen, get the report and take it to the passport office.
We always say we will but, when the time comes, itâs always a last minute thing, and no time for that đ
@maique bummer you canât keep the old one. In the US, we get our expired ones back, but âexpeditedâ is six weeks. Regular time is longer.
@lukemperez Thatâs crazy!! Six weeks! I find a week (five working days) long enough. Usually Iâll just be my lazy self, and go to the airport desk, the one that gets you same day delivery, and pay the extra fee. Itâs something like âŹ35 on top of the regular fee, and be done with it.
@maique Sigh! I have renew my Indian one this month; perhaps for the last time before I apply for the U.S. one in less than four years. Your process is much simpler than mine and definitely will take longer as everything has to go through mail. But we do get our old passport back. I should post the front pages of my previous ones đ
BTW our son got his first passport when he was two months old. Now imagine what an ordeal it was to take his photo.
@pratik Here the thing is pretty straightforward, as I said you can go in, take a photo, sign the form, and you can have it in a couple of hours. All the info is already there, from our ID card.
If youâre younger than two (I believe) you can take your own photo, and that one will be used, if all the requirements are met. Sheâs a little older, and acted like a pro. Like if her father was a photographer and she was used to the whole thing⌠đđ¤Łđ
@maique I didnât tell you the best part. $130 for a Passport. Thereâs an ID card for frequent travelers going across the Canadian or Mexican border for $30, but everyone else really needs the full price one. And itâs an extra $60 for expedited. Thankfully, we can go to other offices instead of only mailing to and from the State Department. I got mine renewed last spring at my cityâs municipal offices.
@lukemperez Cool that you have one for those who only need to travel to the neighboring countries. Our ID card, the one we all have, is good for all the EU countries, so no passport needed if youâre just planning to travel in most of Europe.
And, all things considered, I donât find the cost of your passport expensive. Itâs basically double what our costs, but our salaries are probably under half of yours. Seems fair.
@maique on the price I hadnât considered that. I suppose thatâs about right. Though, Iâd like to see a tiered pricing. Cheap for minors and first time passports, and then pegged to salary thereafter.
@maique I was reading your post earlier and forgot to comment. Itâs a shame to lose precious memories⌠they should give you your document back, after all, youâve paid for it sometime in the past. Here we get ours back but with the cover and pages cut at the edgesâŚ