Any U.S. citizen traveling out of the country will need a passport. A passport is a legal document proving citizenship in a particular country. Most passports include the bearer’s photograph, vital statistics and several blank pages for stamps from countries granting entry. For a citizen, a passport isn’t difficult to obtain, but as usually happens when government is involved, there is a process. This article will deal mainly with obtaining a United States passport.

The first thing a person needs to do to get a passport is to make sure he has a driver’s license and birth certificate handy. Both will be needed to obtain the passport. The U.S. State Department’s Web site has a form available online for the person to fill out in advance, but this should not be signed until the passport agent approves the application. All first-time applicants must apply for a passport in person, and this can usually be done at a post office or circuit court clerk’s office at the county courthouse.

A passport applicant will also need to bring two 2x2 inch (5.08x5.08 cm) color photographs for the passport. These can be made by a professional photographer, or where passport photos are made. The applicant will show the passport agent all identification, the photographs and completed application. When the application is approved, the agent and applicant will sign the form, and the applicant will pay the passport fee. The application will be filed, and the applicant will receive the passport via U.S. Mail.

It can take anywhere from six weeks to six months for a passport to arrive. Those needing a passport more urgently can pay a larger fee to expedite the passport, but it is always best to apply for a passport as soon as one knows one is going out of the country. An applicant may also contact his or her local U.S. congressional representative if the passport seems to be taking an unusually long time. This can also expedite the process.

A passport is good for 15 years, and it may be renewed by mail. In this case, the applicant needs to fill out another form, enclose it, the fee, two more recent photographs and the old passport, and send the package to the processing center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The State Department Web site has a wealth of information regarding the application process, what to do if one is a naturalized citizen, has no birth certificate or other contingencies.