Summer, travel, passports, oh my

Summer vacations are rapidly approaching, so remember to review one important travel document – your passport.

According to Barb Lee, Ramstein Passport Office, KMC personnel should take a moment to check out passport expiration dates for the whole family.

“One of our largest requests this time of year for passports are those who have expired passports and need them in a hurry,” she said.

According to Mrs. Lee, individuals should visit the passport office to apply for a new passport six months before the current one expires.

The Ramstein Passport Office cannot provide expedited passport service for those needing a passport within a week or two, or even within a month. On average, people can expect to receive a tourist passport in approximately eight weeks, while it takes more than 10 weeks to receive a family member no-fee passport.

Recently, the State Department changed the policies regarding the application process for a family member no-fee passport. All requests are now required to be filled out online. Applications may be downloaded on www.travel.state.gov.
For more information, call the Ramstein Passport Office 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday at 480-2240.

Traveling to different countries? Check http://travel.state.gov before you go.