Passport Renewal Prices Go Up Again!

Rumours are the price of a passport is going up, but this time it’s for Canada. Unfortunately for Canadians, 2012 will usher in new passport renewal fees that go up to $225 for an ePassport. Valid for 10 years, this new biometric passport will include an electronic chip encoded with all your personal data.

U.S. passport fees also went up not quite so long ago, with new passports costing $135, up 45 percent and $110 for passport renewals, up 47 percent. Each time a fee hike is announced an interim period is usually given. During this time, people that have been putting off passport renewal all rush in at the same time, in order to avoid paying the higher cost. This translates to extra-long waits for travelers.

The State Department is also pushing something called a `passport card` for people who limit their travel to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. Described as `convenient and less expensive`, for new cards it costs $50 and $30 for renewals. With no international air travel allowed, it just might be easier for travelers to get the full passport book and be done with.

The moral of the story. Stop procrastinating. Getting your passport renewed now rather than later will usually save you time and money.

I was given this great information from Andrew William Addison who is an internet marketing specialist.