In order to get a passport, the applicant used to have to find the local passport office and then stand in line to stand in line a couple of times before they could finally get to the window only to find out that they didn’t have the information filled out correctly. Today, that whole process has gotten much easier thanks to the ability of ordering a U S passport online.

By ordering passports online, you may also avoid having to make and keep appointments or stand in line at the local post office. That is if they even provide passport services at the branch near you. It is quite possible for some, depending of course on their location, that the online option may be the only one.

Finding the right online service requires some research, but they can be found readily enough. Look for services that are registered with the BBB and that have no complaints filed against them. They should also have a toll free number to call in and find out about your order. Before using them, make sure you can get a live person and it is not some voice mail system.

The forms are actually pretty easy to fill out and many of them can be completed before printing out. The only thing that a first time applicant needs to be aware of is that the application cannot be officially signed until they are actually in front of the agent at the passport office. If it is signed beforehand, they will void it and everything will have to be done again.

When the forms and photos are all done, they will need to be printed out. If the daughters’ cute, pink paper is in the printer, get it out of there. All official forms need to be printed on plain, white paper that is of standard size. If the paper has a glossy coating or is anything other than standard letter, they will disregard it.

Pictures are also going to have to be done and are pretty easy to get, it is just important to make sure that they are the right kind. Passport photos must be 2 inches by 2 inches and should be in color. Most photo shops will have the ability to take these, or there is of course the quick Internet search to find the spot closest that can handle this task for you.

Now that everything is together, the only thing left is to mail in everything and get the process started. For this task, the applicant will want to use a service like UPS or FedEx. By using a reliable overnight service, the documents will be secure and proof of delivery will be available. Just remember, these are very important items and if they get lost, it could lead to some very serious problems. The couple of dollars in shipping them securely is a very good investment.

It may not seem like this is a time saving process, but the actual time saved comes in the overall turnaround of the actual US passports. By ordering a passport online, the passport can be received in less than a week. Head over to the local office or use standard government services, and the mailbox will not have a passport in it for at least a month and a half.

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