Before Traveling Abroad: Some US Passport Requirements
Finally! You are all set on your decision. You have finally taken the initiative to go around the world and travel on your own. You envision yourself traveling around the globe with your bags in tow. You visualize yourself traveling the realms that you have never been in before. Places such as the exquisite cities like Rome and Paris capture your senses, and the exotic beauty of Oriental cities like Tokyo and Hong Kong are considered as wonderful treats. You are thrilled by the thought that you would go to the Eiffel Tower or the busiest shopping havens in Hong Kong. However, you have one single problem. You still have to obtain that passport of yours which will serve as a ticket for you to go to these beautiful places that you always wanted to visit. Without this, your dreams of fun and relaxation in other countries are futile. There are some things that you need to remember when getting those US passport requirements.
 First, you must secure a birth certificate as a proof of your US citizenship. If you are born outside the United States, you must have an Original Certificate of Citizenship, or what we call FS-240, DS-1350. Remember that the birth certificate that you need to present should be authenticated and certified, which means that it must contain a registrar's seal and signature and the date the birth certificate was filed. The document should have been filed within one year of your birth date. In cases of a delayed birth certificate, that is, if the document was filed more than one year from the date of your birth, it must be signed by an attending physician.
Next, you have to go in person to some passport acceptance facilities in the United States. As of now, there are 9,000 facilities in the country. These facilities include some state courts, public libraries, and municipal offices. When you go to these facilities, make sure that you have two recent 2x2 photographs of yourself, Form DS-11, which is the application for passport itself, and a valid identification such as a driver's license. Form DS-11 may be obtained from the US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs website. You will also be asked for the passport fees after your transaction. You just have to wait for your passport for about two weeks. You may also check the US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs website to track the progress of your passport application.
As you can see, getting the US passport requirements is just a cinch, once you take care all of the things that you need to have for the application. After this, everything will just be a breeze, as you just sit back and relax after you board your plane on a trip around the world. If you really want to have your life in a different level, then it is high time for you to accomplish your US passport requirements right now.
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