Small Thing Number Five: Passport!

If you want to go to Japan you are going to need a passport. I already had a passport so this process was easier for me than it would be for a first passport. My passport expires at the end of the year so I needed a new one, and since I am over 16 I can get one that lasts me ten years. Means I am going to have braces in my passport photo for the next ten years, but who cares?

So here are some things you should know about getting a passport at different ages: if you are under 16, you can only get a five year passport and must have both parents with you; if you are over 16 but under 18 (where I am), then you can get a 10 year passport and only need one parent with you; and if you are over 18 you can get a ten year passport and be your own legal adult.

It takes six weeks to get a passport and they will last you five to ten years depending on your age so getting one sooner rather than later is a good idea.

I'm 17 and already have a passport, so this is what getting a passport looks like for the 16-17 year old range who already have a passport.

First step is to get passport photos taken. Go shopping with your parent at Costco or Walgreens or somewhere else that takes passport photos. Just go to the photo center before shopping, get your picture taken, then pick up the pictures on the way out.

Next step is to fill out the paperwork. Go here and print the form applicable to you, which for me was the DS-11. Make sure to read all the instructions and if you have a passport that will cover most of the ID requirements.

And after that it's time to head to the Public Services office! Get your passport, paperwork, photos, and another form of ID (like a driver's license) and put them all in a folder.

The stickers on my folder are from http://naruusprouts.tictail.com/  

UNBELIEVABLY cute stuff so definitely check out her store. 

If you are under 18 like myself, grab a parent to go with you. If you are under 16, make sure to grab both parents. This is a government office which means things are slow and boring so you may have to bribe your parents a bit with offering to do more chores.

ALSO NOTE that it's going to cost you money to get your passport. It cost me about $135 and they only take cash or check, so make sure you have that available.

When you get to the office, go to the passport counter and get your name on the list. Now you wait. I brought my Japanese books and handed one to my mom and we sat there and read those while we waited. While we were waiting some other guy and his mom were getting a passport and when the lady held up her hand to have them take the oath saying the information on the forms was correct the kid thought she was holding her hand up for a high five so he high fived her XD. Pretty sure he made that lady's day.

Eventually they will call you up and ask a few questions about your application, take your ID and your parent's ID and photocopy them, ask for money, take your old passport, and finally have you take the oath that all you wrote down is correct. After that you just have to wait six weeks for your new passport to arrive and your old one to be returned.