Getting a passport for DS

[Anonymous]

UGH. Getting a passport for a child is really difficult. My understanding is that all of us have to go to the agency together and present the application, is that right? And there are no agencies are open Saturdays. And so many of them only have hours until 3 pm. Frustrated.

Annoyed.

[Anonymous]

Not following how this is so difficult. Can you elaborate?

[Anonymous]

It's a grind for sure. However. you don't necessarily have to all go. You can have your spouse fill out a form that you get notarized, and bring that along with a copy of his/her ID to submit along with the application. Also, you may be able to do this through a post office. I did.

[Anonymous]

You can go to a post office with Saturday hours and process it by mail. Pay the expedite fee if you're in a hurry. Alternatively, you can have notarized permission from one parent if you can't both be there in person. It isn't super easy, but I'm sure you can understand why.

[Anonymous]

Yes it's a pain. Yes you all need to be there unless you can get the form notarized (or something like that--there is a way to avoid having both parents there but it may not be worth it for you). That said it's once every five years. We did find our post office was not open for passport appointments Saturday so had to go during the week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not following how this is so difficult. Can you elaborate?

Because without late or weekend hours, you have to take time off of work to get it done. Is this something you would like to take a vacation day for?

Luckily, we now live in an area with Saturday hours, and we just walked right in. Another reason I'm glad I'm not in DC now.

[Anonymous]

Do it at a post office that has weekend hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can go to a post office with Saturday hours and process it by mail. Pay the expedite fee if you're in a hurry. Alternatively, you can have notarized permission from one parent if you can't both be there in person. It isn't super easy, but I'm sure you can understand why.

+1

DS-11 is the passport form
DS-3053 is the form for an absent parent

Our post office made the process very easy, though some don't (for example, they don't have dedicated staff to answer phones if you call ahead for an appointment or with questions - as PP said, I'm sure you can understand why)

GL

[Anonymous]

Yes, you can do this at a post office on the weekend. If one of the parents can't make it, there is a form you can get notarized. It's really NBD.

[Anonymous]

+1 on the post office with Saturday Hours. You actually call and make an appointment - which could be up to one or two weeks out. We only wanted a Saturday morning, so it took us two weeks to get in. Funny thing is my husband works for State, but he could never get off early enough during the week to do it (nor had time to get anything notarized - on the run from the moment he walked in the office door at 8 am until he leaves around 7-8 pm), so we have to do Saturdays too. Quick and easy - and our post office even does the passport photos during your appointment (Tysons area).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not following how this is so difficult. Can you elaborate?

Because without late or weekend hours, you have to take time off of work to get it done. Is this something you would like to take a vacation day for?

Luckily, we now live in an area with Saturday hours, and we just walked right in. Another reason I'm glad I'm not in DC now.

Well, it's inconvenient, but "difficult' is a bit of an exaggeration.

I don't have to take a vacation day. I just go do an errand and return to the office. No big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not following how this is so difficult. Can you elaborate?

Because without late or weekend hours, you have to take time off of work to get it done. Is this something you would like to take a vacation day for?

Luckily, we now live in an area with Saturday hours, and we just walked right in. Another reason I'm glad I'm not in DC now.

as people keep telling you, you can do it in a post office with saturday hours! so this is not a reason to be glad you are not in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not following how this is so difficult. Can you elaborate?

Because without late or weekend hours, you have to take time off of work to get it done. Is this something you would like to take a vacation day for?

Luckily, we now live in an area with Saturday hours, and we just walked right in. Another reason I'm glad I'm not in DC now.

Well, it's inconvenient, but "difficult' is a bit of an exaggeration.

I don't have to take a vacation day. I just go do an errand and return to the office. No big deal.

Um, that's nice for you that you have the freedom to leave the office during the day to run errands. Not everyone has that luxury, especially if the child in question is in daycare, so that "errand" involves 25 minutes to get to daycare and pick said child up, 15 minutes to the post office, a half hour at the post office, 15 minutes back to daycare and 25 minutes back to the office. It can easily be a two hour or more disruption to the day, even with an appointment (which they often won't do during typical lunch hour times, because the post office employees are taking lunch breaks too).

[Anonymous]

OP here.

Which post offices (DC or MD) have weekend hours for passport applications? I have called several, and it is only Mon-Fri.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

saturday post office hours. that's how we did it for each of our kids. in the DC area. it was not the most fun saturday i've ever spent, but really, no big deal. and i totally understand that it's important to have both parents there - or a notarized form saying that the absent parent agrees to the passport - it's for the kid's safety.