Detroit - Newest "Emergency Passport City"
Detroit to become "Gateway City" for emergency passports
On Friday, the Department of State announced plans to open an "Emergency Passport Office" in Detroit. The office is scheduled to open by October, eliminating the need for Michiganders to travel to Chicago for an emergency passport.
An emergency passport will cost you $160, so it's not the best option if you can plan ahead.
Happy TravelsIf you're digging in your heels and don't want to buy a regular passport ($100), there are other options available. As long as you don't leave it to the last minute.
An "enhanced driver's license" will allow you to bypass the passport law, and it will cost you $50 (half the price of a regular passport). In the spring you'll be able to get a passport card for $45. It'll allow you to jump between Canada, the US and Mexico.
But if you're in Michigan and need an emergency passport, the announcement today is good news - even if it will cost you $60 more than a regular passport.
Because of Michigan's proximity to Canada, passports are a big deal here. More than $130 billion dollars in trade are exchanged over the Ambassador Bridge each year. And for everyone - travelers and businesses - 2009 is looming large. That's the deadline when you'll need a passport (or passport equivalent document) to cross the land border between Canada and the US.
If you're considering a cruise, traveling to Europe or a trip to the land down under, a passport is the best travel-investment you can make.
Need more info on passport regulations? Visit the US Department of State
Need some info on how not to look like a dork in your next passport photo? See our article: Looking Like Your Passport Photo Isn't a Good Thing
Do you have a passport?
