How Much Does It Cost To Get A Passport?

Everyone enjoys the excitement and adventure of traveling – especially when visiting new countries. Traveling between countries, however, will require you to have a recognized passport.

Traveling without a passport to most countries will be nearly impossible. Governments rely on passports to track who moves in and out of their borders. Most governments will not allow travelers to enter their country without one. For anyone looking to do traveling to foreign countries, consider having a passport to be mandatory to prevent any holdups at points of entry.

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How Much Does It Cost To Get A Passport?

A passport typically cost $110 for adults and $80 for minors who are 16 years or younger in the US. The limited sea travel passport card cost is $30 for adults and $15 for minors. The execution fee for both passport book and card is $35 for all ages.

The passport execution fee is required when obtaining a passport for the first time. Travelers who need their passport soon can pay an optional fee for expedited processing, overnight delivery, or a fee to search for files proving citizenship.

Passports are typically separated based on the age of the applicant. Adult passport applicants are defined as those 16 years or older, while minor passport applicants are defined as those younger than 16 years old.

If you decide to apply for a passport, make sure to plan for the frequency you expect to travel and the method of travel you will take. Certain countries have passports for frequent travelers, while others have passports specifically for land or sea points of entry between countries.

The fee paid for a passport is not for the book itself, but for the application associated with obtaining the passport. All governments require an application to obtain a passport, which will be reviewed by authorized officials to determine your passport eligibility.

For citizens of the United States, refer to the Department of State’s FAQ for more eligibility information.

United States First-time Passport Fees

The United States federal government offers two types of passports for adults and minors: a passport book and a passport card.

The U.S. Passport Book is used to authorize adults and children for international travel by land, sea, and air. The U.S. Passport Card is used only to authorize citizens to travel across land and sea points of entry between Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. The U.S. Passport Card does not authorize international travel by air.

For U.S. adult citizens obtaining their passport for the first time, the passport fees are as follow:

Passport Type	Application Fee	Execution Fee
Passport Book (Adult)	$110	$35
Passport Card (Adult)	$30	$35
Passport Book & Card (Adult)	$140	$35
*Passport Card Addition (Adult)**	$30	N/A

*The Passport Card Addition is for applicants who already possess a valid U.S. Passport Book, but want to also obtain a U.S. Passport Card.

For U.S. minor citizens obtaining their passport for the first time, the passport fees are as follow:

Passport Type	Application Fee	Execution Fee
Passport Book (Minor)	$80	$35
Passport Card (Minor)	$15	$35
Passport Book & Card (Minor)	$95	$35

United States Passport Renewal Fees

U.S. passports are only valid for a specific amount of time, depending upon the age you were when the passport was issued. For those under the age of 16 at the time of issuance, the passport is valid for 5 years. For those over the age of 16 at the time of issuance, the passport is valid for 10 years.

Travelers must pay a renewal fee to have their passports revalidated. Passport renewal only applies for adult travelers, since those who were minors at the time of passport issuance will be adults by the time they need to renew.

Travelers do not pay an execution fee for passport renewal.

For U.S. citizens renewing their passport, renewal fees are as follows:

Passport Type	Application Fee
Passport Book	$110
Passport Card	$30
Passport Book & Card	$130

United States Passport Optional Fees

For travelers in unique situations, the U.S. federal government offers several optional services for passport applications.

Processing a U.S. passport application can take up to 18 weeks from the day the application was submitted. For travelers who need their passport sooner, the U.S. government offers an Expedite Fee to process the application sooner. The government also offers 1-2 Day Delivery, which expedites delivery of the passport for an additional fee.

If travelers are unable to find the documentation necessary to submit their application, the U.S. government offers a File Search Fee. This fee authorizes the government to search for evidence of U.S. citizenship or a previously issued passport, in situations where applicants lack proof of citizenship or lost their passport.

For U.S. passport services, optional fees are as follows:

Optional Service	Optional Fee
1-2 Day Delivery	$17.56
Expedite Service	$60
File Search Service	$150

United States Passport Application Requirements

To obtain a U.S. passport, all travelers must be U.S. citizens by birth, naturalization, or be U.S. nationals. Applications for U.S. Passport Books authorizing international travel by air will be denied if the applicant is on any government ‘no-fly’ list.

All applicants are required to complete one of the two U.S. passport application forms. For travelers of all ages applying for a first-time passport or the file search service, a DS-11 must be completed. For travelers seeking to renew their passports, a DS-82 must be completed.

For more information on the application process and relevant documentation, visit the U.S. Department of State passport forms site.

How Much Does It Cost To Get A Passport?

Obtaining a U.S. passport costs between $30 – $175. Travelers obtaining a passport for the first time will typically pay $145, while travelers renewing their passport pay up to $130. Several optional passport services exist for additional fees, such as the Expedite Service, 1-2 Day Delivery, or File Search service.

Citizens looking to travel will need to obtain a passport first. Make sure to check your government’s travel site and estimate how much travel you expect to do when determining which passport best suits your needs.

All governments offer passports for an application fee. This fee varies depending on if this is your first passport, a renewal, or if the passport is for your children. Pricing also varies depending upon the frequency you intend to travel. In the United States, passport books for adults cost $145. Other countries have their pricing schemes based on the same factors.