If you have a new US passport with the new electronic chip in them, you are probably aware that they no longer allow the 48 page passports. I don’t know the reason for this. It really makes no sense. If you are a frequent traveler and have a bunch of visas, stamps, amendments, etc. then you will fill up a regular passport very quickly. That means that you have to get additional pages put into your passport which requires going through an annoying process of sending your passport to a passport agency and paying for express mail each way. Also, if you want expedited service, meaning a few days, you have to pay $60 more because normally it takes 4 weeks-which is ridiculous. On my first passport, I had to put more pages in three times in addition to the original 24 pages that were in it so I ended up with 96 pages in my passport and they were all full-Although its expired, I still have it and it is kind of a shrine of sorts to me.
I just got mine back because I will be needing a bunch of visas shortly for a Central Asia trip that I am likely going on over the summer and the visa gathering process takes forever with the amount of red tape you have to get through with those countries.
My point is that the government should allow the 48 page passports. I am not sure if they are doing it to make more revenue off of US citizens who need to pay expedited fees or there is a technical reason-which I can’t fathom or they simply want to be annoying. My guess is a combination of all of them. As if these new electronic chips weren’t ridiculous enough so now they can keep better track of you. I understand why they make things difficult for foreigners to come into the US but I don’t understand why they make it difficult for US citizens to move around freely and feel the need to keep track of us.
Anyway, if you do need to get more pages put in you just go to the State Department website and click onto the passports link which will give you all the options and information you’ll need.
I agree its a pain but worth it because then you can get more stamps in the same passport
check out this secret…i accidentally washed my passport with a pair of my jeans and it basically washed away half of the stamps off of the pages or made them so faded that it can barely be seen. i wont have to get a new passport for a long time now.
Yea but who wants to destroy the stamps of countries you have been to?
I would be devastated if that happened to me
Great idea Andy!!! i think i am going to wash my passport tonight, any solutions for getting visa stickers out? maybe just take scissors and cut that page out??
btw if you need new pages in london it only is supposed to take 5 days and is free! I just sent mine in today.
I wish I knew I could alter my passport by throwing it in the washer, so that the next time I come into some shady foreign country or the states they can strip search me for tampering with my passport.
can you still get pages added to a older 48-page passport without the chip?
Yes you can have pages added, I just had it done but obviously if you need it expedited there are additionaly fees. But again you cannot just get a 48 pager initially which is fairly inconvenient.
One way to get around the long wait times required for adding pages to your passport might be to wait until you are OUTSIDE the US. I had extra pages added by a US embassy in a South American country and from the time I walked into the embassy to the time I walked out with my extra pages was about two hours.
Of course, the time required may vary based on what country you’re in and how busy they are, but it’s worth checking into if you’re going to be in one place for a few days.
In Russia at the American Embassy I get 24 more pages for free and it takes me about an hour. I have done it twice so far.They tell me that any America Embassy at the Citizens help section will do it for free. (Consulate)
Kyle
Hello…I am curious about a small, teal colored square ‘sticker’ that I noticed on the back of my passport…it has white printing on top that says I-SEC and is in a little oval outline. There appears to be handwriting on the sticker as well. Anybody have any idea what this is? I have had a passport since I was fifteen and never saw this before.
Maybe you could provide an update on this story? As you know, the 52 page is now available. Any tips for carrying this thicker passport around? And whether you carry it all the time or leave it in your room?