Post office offers advice on passports

It may take less time to drive to Cranbrook, British Columbia, than to Missoula, but soon a trip to Canada may require a passport to get back across the border.

Effective Dec. 31, travelers to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda may be required to present valid passports to enter or re-enter the United States.

Proposed passport requirements for Americans traveling to Canada are still a matter of debate and haven't been finalized.

Residents of the Flathead Valley can get a head start from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 22, by attending the passport fair at the Kalispell Main Post Office, 350 N. Meridian Road. Post office staff will be on hand to help people complete passport applications, including taking photos if necessary. The post office also will offer regular retail services that day.

Passports cost $97 for people ages 16 and older, $30 of which goes to the U.S. Postal Service for a processing fee and $67 to the State Department for the application fee. For children younger than 16, the cost is $82 - $30 goes to the Postal Service for processing and $52 covers the State Department's application fee.

These items are required to process a passport application:

. Proper proof of American citizenship. This must be a certified copy of a birth certificate issued by a city, county or state; a previous U.S. passport; a certificate of citizenship; or a naturalization certificate. A hospital-issued birth certificate alone is not acceptable. Children younger than 14 must bring certified copies of their birth certificates, even if they have previous passports.

. Proof of identity. This must either be a valid driver's license, a government-issued ID, a military photo ID, a naturalization certificate or a certificate of citizenship.

. Two identical recent color photographs. Those who need photos can purchase them for $15, payable to the post office.

It takes about six weeks to process a passport application. If a person needs a passport sooner than that, the application can be expedited for an additional $60 fee, payable to the Department of State.

To save time, download a passport application at www.usps.com/passport and complete the application beforehand.