Consumer Reports

I got my first passport when I was fifteen and going on a school trip to England and France. This means I spent the following 10 years flashing a picture of me in braces and with hair styling fresh from basketball practice. When it was due for renewal I snickered when I realized that renewing my passport actually cost me more than applying for one originally. By this time, they stopped letting you smile in your picture and I couldn’t show off the fruit of my years of orthodontic labor. As of yesterday, passport fees have gone up once again. An adult will be charged $135 (up from $100) to get a passport. A minor’s passport is $105 (up from $85). For renewals, an adult will be charged $110 (up from $75). The State Department says the increase in fees are to cover the costs of production of the physical book itself as well as implementing new technology, operating expanded processing facilities and providing aid and emergency services to U.S. citizens overseas. Will the higher fees deter you from traveling abroad?

Now that the east coast has finally started to warm up, the sun is shining, birds are chirping…allow me to bring some gloom and doom to your day. It looks like the cost of obtaining / renewing a passport is going to go up. The State Department is proposing a fee hike that would raise the cost of applying for a passport from $100 to $135, and renewal cost would increase to $110 from the current $75. The reason? The State Department says that the costs of increased security and anti-fraud and terrorism measures aren’t being covered by the current fees . Besides this just seeming like yet another rising cost that is annoying to deal with, some lawmakers worry that overall it will hurt the tourism industry- particularly to neighboring countries of Canada and Mexico. They worry that the increased burden will deter Americans from traveling and in turn, continue to hurt the economy. While the increase is not yet final, it could be in effect by April. The State Department suggests applying for your passport now if you are planning international travel, as a rush of applications are expected in the wake of this news. Do you have an alternative idea to cover security costs? Do you mind paying the higher fee?