US Plans Sharp Hike in Passport Fees
Extending current passports will cost $110, almost 50 percent more than the present fee of $75, according to the Organization of Americans and Canadians in Israel (AACI). The cost of a new first-time passport will rise from $100 to $135, and for a child under 16 from $85 to $100, and passport booklet security surcharges will double to $40. Application fees for a consular report of a birth in Israel or elsewhere outside of the United States will increase from $65 to $100.
Fees for notary and authentication services will increase 100 percent to $50. Renouncing American citizenship, which now is processed without charge, soon will cost $450, according to the proposed schedule of costs.
Many American immigrants to Israel have angrily protested the new proposed fee schedules in Internet and e-mail forums, yet the State Department stated the increases were suggested following a comprehensive cost of service study.
“As demand for passports increased to an average of 15 million per year, the increase in certain fees will aid cover actual operating expenses for the Department of State’s 301 consular posts abroad, 23 domestic passport agencies, and other centers that supply consular services to both U.S. and foreign citizens,” according to federal officials.They added that improvements in automated systems have decreased some fees, such as the application fee for determining returning resident status.
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