You and your parents should start the process to obtain passports.

This is a good time for both you and your parents to apply for U.S. passports.  Most college students will study abroad for 1 or 2 semesters during their sophomore or junior year.  Students will be required to obtain a passport in order to study abroad; parents must have passports in case they need to make an emergency trip to a foreign country because their son or daughter is injured or becomes ill.  It is very important for each parent to have their own passport.

How to apply for a U.S. Passport

To obtain a passport for the first time, you need to go in person to one of over 8,000 passport acceptance facilities located throughout the United States with two photographs of yourself, proof of U.S. citizenship, and a valid form of photo identification such as a driver’s license.

Acceptance facilities include many Federal, state and probate courts, post offices, some public libraries and a number of county and municipal offices. There are also 13 regional passport agencies, and 1 Gateway City Agency, which serve customers who are traveling within 2 weeks (14 days), or who need foreign visas for travel. Appointments are required in such cases.

For more information on getting a new passport, please visit How to get a passport page.

Passport Processing Time.  Passport processing times for routine service is 10-12 weeks.   Expedited service time is 2-3 weeks (includes overnight delivery service for sending your application and returning your passport to you).

Passport Costs.  For ages 16 years and older, total cost is $97 (passport application fee is $67 plus an execution fee of $30).