I'm Amazed At The Hassle Involved In Getting A Passport!

I haven' purchased a passport, but my husband wants me too since he would like to travel outside of the US next year. I know they can be quite expensive and a hassle to get.

Count yourself lucky if you get your passport after submitting all the documents.Our country has some wonderful police verification that would determine the fate of the person who appeals for this passport.And one never knows what will happen , where the hitch would be.

no, but its been a while since I had to get a passport (mine has expired BTW) HOWEVER, when I did apply, the (b)witch at the post office tried to tell me my birth certificate wasn't enough! It took a manager to tell her that it wasn't her call, and if the passport people didn't think it was enough, they'd let me know!

Passport here in my country is cheap and not that hard to get only if you have enough documents and no problems in your document. It takes 5 to 7 working days and you can have deliver it on your door.

I haven't tried to get a passport but I can only imagine the hassle! Just trying to get my daughter a non-driver ID when she turned 18 was quite an adventure. The paperwork involved in proving that you are who you say you are is just, well, like you said...a scavenger hunt. Thing is, if someone wants to fake their identity, I imagine that they still could. Getting into Canada from the States is just as crazy from what I've heard.

I have no idea how much is involved. I had hoped to go visit Canada on a driving trip one day but with the expense of gas, hotel, food, and site seeing that would be over the top for me to phantom paying for 5 passports on top of things!

There is so much red tape and forms to fill in and documents to be produced. My passport last ten years and I have about three years left to go. The last time I went abroad was in 2007, so you can see I don't use it that often. What I object to is the price they charge just for renewing it. I have learnt through bitter experience to make sure all my documents are in the one place to save the mad hunt trying to find them all. I probably won't renew my password unless I do decide to go abroad, but I think my travelling days are over and I am happy just to travel in my own country.

I got my passport back in 2000, and had to pay even more because I needed it ASAP. I had just won a trip and it would take too long if I got it the normal way. Everything you said sounds familiar except for the two references. Maybe I needed that, but I don't remember. As time consuming as it was back then, I imagine it's even worse now because of 9/11. Everything got more time consuming after that when it comes to travel.

Canadians used to be able to visit the USA without needing a passport. These every foreign nationality must have a passport to visit the USA. I have been there by air three times with a visa waver in my passport. I wasn't able to go to Seattle overland from Vancouver when I was in Canada. I fancied having my birthday in the USA. I fill out a passport application form and get the passport photos. I take the application to the post office for a check and send service. I needed to have professional person to make a declaration they know me for my children's passports. I asked the nurse living next door to me and one of the medical professionals of my disabled son for that service. The cost for a 3 week wait are 77 pounds and 50 pence for an adult passport and 49 pounds for a child passport. An adult passport lasts 10 years but a child passport only lasts 5 years. The post office charge around 7 pounds for their check and send service. I got my passport in 2005 and it is not biometric so I would need a visa ton visit the USA or get a new passport.

Don't know about now, but when I got m ine, I filled out a form, showed them my birth certificate and gave them my passport photos to send in with the form. There was a fee, also.

Its crazy and expesnive! I* have to drive 3 and a half hours if i want to go in person. and there is no way im dumb enough to send my id and birth certificate in the mail....

The references sound weird, but the rest is quite normal I think, so I wouldn't consider it a hassle :-) Just normal bureucracy. Have to make sure the ones employed by the government etc have something to do :-) I'll have to renew my passport when I come back from my first holiday, I think the worse hassle will be queing at the police station. They're usually a bit short on staff in the summer.

The passport situation in Great Britain has become ridiculous. For a family of 4 the cost is astronomical. Mine , my husbands and my son's passports all expired last year - without the cost of photographs it will cost just over £220 to renew our passports - this certainly stops you about thinking of travelling abroad. If it is a first time passport or a child's which hasn't been renewed for over 5 years you have to go for an interview. We need our passport and photo endorsed by someone 'in authority' who has known us for over 3 years who has a passport of their own. Although we are supposedly part of Europe we still need a passport to travel to European countries whereas people in France, Germany etc can pass between the European borders without the need for a passport. Despite all these regulations there are still thousands of people entering our country illegally - it is just plain stupid!!

I don't have a passport but when my sister applied for one before she did have any problems at all. She just need to fill up a form and she will have it a few hours later. Before this a person will need to wait for a few days but now we just need to wait for a few hours. Its more convenient.(^^)

yes I did years ago and even more hassle I had to have my husband sign to be able to put my son on my passport this is only in Quebec. My man is a chartered accountant and a notary so there is not problem there.

It was harder for me getting a passport for my 15 year old daughter because I had to pay extra to get a copy of her long form birth certificate. Also, the picture taken and submitted came back with a note that her mouth was not closed. I actually needed a magnifying glass to see that her lip was caught on one of her braces. The photo place had to take a new photo at no cost, but it was still a hassle. I don't remember having to get anything notarized. I needed to give the phone number of someone who knew me who was an upstanding professional, like my doctor. I don't think they ever called her though. We just got our Canadian passports this spring. It is a pain, and quite expensive, but now the three of us our set for five years.

I got mine many moons ago..in fact it will expire next year. I just used it on vacation and it's truly a hassle to go from country to country. I know they are doing it for our saftey....but really...it truly was a big hassle!

I haven't gotten a passport yet. When I went to Canada before, I didn't need one, and I haven't ventured beyond the U.S. and Canada. However, I plan to get one within the next year; there is a big world out there, and I haven't enjoyed enough of it.

I live in Bangladesh. We also have to do all these formalities to get a passport. After then to apply for visa is another botheration. In this free world we are bound by many rules and regulations.

I spent about $30 to get my passport and I had to come to the Immigration office for 3 times (about 6 days working day), 1st day I came to the immigration office to fill the registration form and make payment, but the officer told me I need a reference why I need to make a passport because Im a student so I need a reference letter from my university, my university is 35 km away from my home and I have to ride there to get a reference letter. and then after 3 days from the registration form I have to come back to the immigration office to take picture for my passport, had to do interview why I need passport where I will go, etc. and then the next 3 days I had to go back to the immigration office to take my passport. Actually here we can get our passport done in 1 or 3 days and dont have to come 3 times to immigration office but only if we are willing to pay more, my friend paid $100 to get his passport done in 3 days...hahaha 3 times than what I paid.