CNN
July 7, 2010
By A. Pawlowski, CNN
All of the increased security and the anti-fraud measures added to passports in recent years come at a cost, officials say.
(CNN) — Get ready to open your wallet a little wider to satisfy your travel bug: It is soon going to cost more to apply for a new U.S. passport or renew an old one — a move criticized by the public and some lawmakers.
Starting next Tuesday, adults applying for their first passport book will have to pay $135 — a 35 percent increase from the current $100 fee.
(The cost of the wallet-size passport card, which Americans can use on certain trips closer to home, is rising from $45 to $55 for first-time applicants.)
Want to add more visa pages to your passport book? It’s free now, but you will have to shell out $82 under the new fee schedule.
The renewal fee for passport books will rise to $110 — up from the current $75.
There’s even a new fee if you’d like formally to renounce your U.S. citizenship — it costs nothing now, but the price tag will be $450 starting Tuesday.
Fees for passport book and cards for children also are set to rise. more …
