You know what it cost for our family to get 6 passports?

[hopeisaplace]

6 people (we're from Canada)=$600. (approx.)
Got them this year just to cross the border just in case we ever needed them.
Ummm, it's expensive.

[Blue_In_AK]

1. Under new laws

Alaskans will have to get a passport to travel across Canada to the southeast part of our state (unless we want to fly, of course). I really think there should be an exemption for us.

[sproutster]

5. Serious? Insane.

LOL, still working my way back to Alaska.

My job (corporate contracter) is opening a lab in India next month - I believe my position will last a year at most. It's about to go buh-bye.

[Blue_In_AK]

I know Lisa Murkowski was working on getting a break for us

from this passport requirement, but I haven't heard if she's had any luck.

[Blue_In_AK]

6. Dupe

Twitchy fingers.

[helderheid]

2. we paid a bunch here too. UGH

[prolesunited]

3. We got ours in the fall

It ran about $90 each without the cost of the photo added.

[hopeisaplace]

4. yep, that sounds about right.

[Fleshdancer]

7. I have to renew my daughter's passport

US prices for standard service:

Adult new $ 145
Renewal $ 115
Child $ 130
Name Changes/add pages $ 60

Insanity.

Here's what really bugs me. The renewal cost is the same no matter what the age of the applicant is BUT children's passports expire every 5 years so I wish they would have a lower rate for minor renewal. I understand having to renew them because 5 years is a huge physical difference for kids (the photos should be updated) and I like the need for both parents to consent to the passport application but the costs are ridiculous.

I would also prefer for adult passports to last longer than 10 years, especially if you're paying $60 for changes and to add pages anyway. My passport expires in two years and my husband just renewed his a months ago. It adds up very fast...I feel for you having to purchase 6! $600 is ridiculous.

[hopeisaplace]

8. Wow, the cost for a child's passport is high!

If memory serves me, in Canada my kids passport were $35.

Then there's the cost of the photo's of course.

[Fleshdancer]

10. How many years are they valid?

$35 would be wonderful! I'm just wondering how many times Canadians have to renew child passports. :shrug:

[hopeisaplace]

11. I think, child under 3 - three years, children 3 to 15 - 5 years

I'm pretty sure that's right

[Fleshdancer]

13. see, now that makes sense actually

My daughter was born overseas so she was a month or two old when I got her passport (hardest thing to do: getting a valid passport photo of a newborn with only a picture booth available) and it was odd to be able to use that passport up until the age of 5. You can't see a photo of a bald chubby newborn and see the 4 yr old standing in front of you.

As long as the fees aren't insane, it makes sense to renew the passports of younger kids more often.

In America, I am SO happy that you can now get your expired passport returned to you. I'm still pissed I don't have my first passport from when I went to Europe. x( Old passports make for a wonderful memento.

[tenshi816]

16. My older son was 2 months old

when we got his first passport - we still have both our boys' "baby" passports. They're so sweet to look at now that they're not babies anymore.

They're both already on their third UK passports, and the elder boy is still only 14. By the time they both reach 18, they will have a combined total of 9 British passports and 4 American ones (because they got into the US system later). It's expensive, but necessary.

You're right. It's lovely to keep their old passports. It's nice to have them as mementoes of all the places they've been already in their short lives. I've got all my old passports too.

[tenshi816]

15. I'm about to renew my passport

and in addition to the renewal charge for my US passport, I have to pay an additional £160 ($278 at today's exchange rate) to get my UK permanent resident stamp on it. On top of that, I've applied to become a UK citizen (as a dual US-UK national) and just applying costs well in excess of £200 ($347), and that doesn't include the cost of a UK passport to go with my American one.

Also, the US government requires that my children have American passports - they're not allowed to enter the US on their British ones (because of them having an American mother), so we had to shell out for those too.

It's a nice little racket they've got going.

[leftofthedial]

9. 600 bucks

and a visit from Alberto Gonzales' goons.

[hopeisaplace]

12. lol, I think!

[no_hypocrisy]

14. Keep them where you can access to them 24/7. Don't put them in your

safe deposit box in the bank.

[bumblebee1]

17. Hubby and I renewed our passports (U.S)

It cost us $67 each plus $30 for the post office fee.