So the time has come to dust off your old passport. You are heading to an exotic country on vacation or maybe you are heading to a foreign country on business. Having your passport ready to go is important (especially these days). As you scan your passport, you notice an error. Hmm, now what do you do? The good news is that it is generally fairly easy and often times free to get your passport corrected. But it is important to make those changes as soon as the error is noticed.

A printing error can include an incorrect birth date or a simple spelling error. You can get the printing error corrected at any time you notice the error as long as your passport is valid. In addition, you will never be charge for simple printing errors.

The good news is that if you are submitting your current passport in need of a printing error correction, you are given priority. Generally, you will find that your passport is given expedited processing without the expedited price.

A name change can be needed for many reasons including marriage or divorce. If it has been less than a year since the passport was issued and you can legally document your name change, you will not be charged unless you want expedited services. However, if it has been more than a year since your name change or you cannot provide legal documentation of said name change, you will find you do have a charge. In addition, you may be required to provide additional documentation.

If you need additional visa pages, you will not be charged a fee. However, you will need to pay a fee if you want expedited services.

In the past, passports were amended with the corrected information. However, since September 26, 2005, valid passports are no longer amended. Instead, people are issued new passports. This means better security. In addition, there is an upcoming Electronic Passport coming our way. This Electronic Passport needs the corrected information not the amended information. It is just safer and easier all the way around that you get issued a brand new passport.

Another note to consider is that you MUST always travel in your legal name. If you adopted a child that has a passport in his previous name, you will need a new passport with his or her new name before traveling with a passport. In addition, when you marry, you will need to apply for a passport in your married surname to replace your previous name. All citizens of the United States are required to travel using their full legal names, and as such, the passport must show the same.

When you are traveling where a passport is needed, you will find that it is essential that you stay legal. You have questions, and we have the answers. Should you ever have questions concerning your passport or visa needs, you can contact VIP Passports & Services for a fast, free, and knowledgeable answer.