WASHINGTON (TVR) – This is not an April Fool’s Joke. Starting today, it now costs more to renew passports in certain ways, as a key passport fee rises by a substantial amount.
The U.S. State Department is raising its “execution fee” on in-person passport applications from $25 to $35 — an increase of $10, or 40%.
The new amount for the passport fee was scheduled to take effect April 2, the department said in a release announcing the change.
The fee applies to all initial passport applications and renewals submitted in person “to a passport acceptance agent for identity verification and document review”; applicants who mail in their renewals are still exempt from the passport fee hike.
State officials said they raised the fee to more closely align with the actual cost of providing the service, citing two studies that “showed that the cost of the passport execution service was close to $35.”
“The Department seeks to recover for the U.S. government, as far as possible, the cost of providing consular services through the collection of consular fees,” the unsigned statement said.
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Passport Fee Rises 40%
While the passport fee rises 40%, other costs associated with obtaining a passport are not going to be increased at this time, the State Department said.
A first-time adult passport book now costs a total of $145; an adult renewal costs $110.
A child application (those under 16 years of age), costs $105 for a passport book.
There is a slightly higher cost to obtain both a passport book and a passport card, which can be used for land crossings into Canada and Mexico.
Processing time is normally four to six weeks, but can be expedited for an additional cost for a two to three week processing time, or in as little as eight business days when done through an agency office.
This reporter’s passport renewal in December 2017 under expedited processing by mail took 10 business days.
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After Passport Surge, More Fee Hikes?
The State Department added staff and ordered mandatory monthly overtime in 2017 to handle a “passport surge,” Dep. Assistant Secretary of State for Passport Services Brenda Sprague told The Voyage Report for a podcast in May.
Sprague acknowledged, “we were not ready,” for a similar surge a decade ago and vowed to be better prepared as many passports came up for renewal.
The Bureau has expanded to 7,473 passport acceptance facilities nationwide, 27 passport agencies, and two passport processing centers.
Currently, 132 million Americans hold a passport.
Some organizations have been critical of rising fees impacting travelers.
Airlines for America, which represents most U.S. airlines, had urged Congress to reject proposed increases to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) fees that would have increased the cost of flying for all travelers.
Under proposals recently rejected by lawmakers in the omnibus spending bill, the TSA Passenger Security Fee would have risen $1 next year and an additional $1.65 the following year for a total of $8.25 each way.
The Immigration Inspection User Fee would have risen from $7 to $9 and the customs fee would jump from $5.65 to $7.75, generating a total of $900 million from passengers each year.
“Increasing taxes in any form will add to the cost of flying for millions of Americans, curtail job growth and limit the options small and medium communities currently enjoy,” A4A President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio said in a release Monday.
The proposal could be revisited later this year.
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