Putting together a major international getaway (or even a domestic trip) this year?
Then don’t keep procrastinating on that passport application — the process is about to cost a bit more.
Blame it on the rising passport fees.
In a notice posted in the Federal Register, the U.S. Department of State said it will increase the “execution fee” on certain passport applications from $25 to $35 effective April 2.
The execution fee is a processing charge applied to all first-time passport book or card applicants aged 16 and older, to all child applicants under 16, and to those reapplying after reporting a passport lost or stolen.
The price for the passport book or card itself isn’t changing. If you want to see what charges might apply to your application, use the U.S. Department of State’s fee calculator here.
The Department says it’s updating its fee schedule to better reflect the current costs of delivering consular services. (In plain terms: there are people handling and processing your paperwork, and those services cost money.)
The last time fees were adjusted was in 2008, when the Department reduced the execution fee from $30 to $25, where it remained for about a decade.
Back in September 2016, the Department announced the proposed rule change and opened a 60-day comment period. Many respondents said a $10 bump wouldn’t curb business or leisure travel — though a few argued the increase could “be a hardship” for some travelers.
The Department acknowledged it understands the potential impact of the increase, but said the change is warranted at this time.
And let’s be honest: If $10 is the deciding factor between taking that international trip or staying home, travelers might want to revisit their vacation budgets — or explore lower-cost ways to obtain a passport, including researching current passport fees and options.
If you do plan to apply for a passport this year, it could be smart to submit your paperwork before the April 2 effective date so you won’t have to pay the higher execution fee.
Holding on to an extra ten dollars never hurts, right?
Evan Brooks is a junior writer at Savinly.
