Passports

Passports & Visas for Amigos: Overview All Volunteers

• AMIGOS requires that all volunteers, regardless of country assignment, send two copies of the first page of their passport to the international Office by April 1.
• Volunteers’ passports should be valid through September of the project year.

Volunteers Assigned to the Dominican Republic, Paraguay and Michoacan-Mexico (not Oaxaca or Guadalajara)

• Currently, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, and Michoacan-Mexico (not Oaxaca or Guadalajara) are requiring a visa.
• AMIGOS will collect the passports of these volunteers, along with completed application forms and applicable fees.  (Information will be sent out in February or March to all impacted volunteers.  These documents are due at IO by April 1. Please make sure that the volunteer has signed all passports before mailing them to the International Office. To ensure the safe arrival of passports, send them via certified mail or through an express mail carrier that will insure them. These passports will be returned to volunteers at the gateway departure city.
• The volunteer is responsible for the cost of processing and obtaining a visa, if such an expense is incurred.

Volunteers with Non U.S. Passports

• Chapters must call the International Office to report the name and country of citizenship of each volunteer with a non-U.S. passport as soon as that information is known.
• Citizenship may affect project assignments and the need for special visas.
• Volunteers traveling with a non-U.S. passport are required to obtain their own visas for travel to their assigned host country. If they are traveling to Brazil or the Dominican Republic, the International Office will assist them in obtaining a visa.
• Residence Cards - Volunteers must travel to the field with the original document (not a copy) of their residence card in order to re-enter the U. S. at the end of their project. Send two copies of the Residence Card to the International Office by April 1.

Lost or Forgotten Passports

• All volunteers will be responsible for traveling with their passport to the gateway departure city. If a volunteer arrives in the gateway departure city without a passport, he/she will NOT be permitted to travel to the field. In such an instance, the volunteer will be held liable for any related expenses.

Renewing or Applying for a U.S. Passport

Getting Information

The process and requirements for obtaining a passport are outlined on the State Department Web site: http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html. The National Passport Information Center can provide information by phone, for a fee. The number is 900-225-5674. The fee is 35 cents a minute for automated service or $1.05 a minute for a live operator. Alternatively, you can call 888-362-8668 and pay a $4.95 flat fee for information. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO APPLY! The cost of applying for expedited service to receive a passport within the last 2 months of traveling is astronomical, and the chances of not receiving the passport in time are considerable. Normal processing times take about 6 weeks, although this time can increase as the summer travel season approaches! Apply NOW if you need a passport.

If the volunteer is applying for his or her first passport and is under age 18, the volunteer and a parent must both be present and apply either at the Washington Passport Agency or at a post office that processes passport applications. If the volunteer is age 18 or over, the volunteer can apply on his or her own. The fee for a first passport is $60. It can be paid by personal check, money order, or traveler’s, cashier, or bank draft check made out to "Passport Services." The applicant must take documentation to apply for a passport.

• Proof of US citizenship– normally a birth certificate, report of birth abroad, or proof of naturalization or derived citizenship.
• Documentation proving identity – with a signature, photograph, and physical description. A driver’s license (but not a learner’s permit) is normally the best identity document. If the volunteer does not have a driver’s license, the parent may show their driver’s license and attest to the volunteer’s identity.
• Two identical 2" x 2" passport photographs taken within the last 6 months.

Renewals of passports that were issued before the holder’s 16th birthday must also be made in person, as described above. The fee for a renewal passport is $40. The old passport is cancelled and returned with the new one. Call to confirm hours.

You will need:

• Certified Birth Certificate
• 2 passport photos
• Valid driver's license or State ID
• Two personal cheeks (fill out with registration)

The U.S. Department of State runs the Passport Services Department. Inquiries on passports can be answered by calling one of two numbers: 1-900-225-5674. Automated responses are received at the rate of $.35/minute, 24-hours a day. Customer Service Representatives can be contacted at a rate of $1.05/minute. Credit Card users can access a Passport Services Inquiry line for a flat rate of $4.95 per call by dialing 1-888;.362-8668.