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tommchone · Joined: 27 Oct 2009 Posts: 108

I hope this is the right place to ask this. Has anyone ever gotten extra US passport pages? I just found out about this the other day. How does it work? Do they "sew" them into the booklet?

Ariadne · Joined: 16 Jul 2004 Posts: 960

Yes, they sew them in. You pay a fee, can't remember how much.

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tommchone · Joined: 27 Oct 2009 Posts: 108

Thank you; I think I saw somewhere that it costs 60 USD.

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

The fee depends on how you get it done/how quickly you need your passport back. I was back in the US over the summer, in Oregon, and I would have had to go to either Seattle or San Francisco to do it in person. I opted for a courier service--for a fee, of course. There are several forms you have to send them, and the speed of the service depends on when your next flight out is--e.g., if you want super-expedited service--like overnight or two-day service--you've got to show them that you have a flight within the next few days. And you pay accordingly. I chose a two-week service, and between the $60 fee and the courier fee and... something else... the FedEx fee, maybe... it was over $200. The service was very professional and reliable, though--you can log on and see every step of the transaction, you get a representative assigned to your case who calls you to explain what will happen, etc.

(Basically, I think what they do is take responsibility for your passport--you sign it over into their care--and then they make an appointment in the relevant passport office in the closest city.)

If you're lucky enough to live in a big city you can go in and do it in person, although I think there are still some hoops to jump through.

d

tommchone · Joined: 27 Oct 2009 Posts: 108

I'm glad you mentioned that, because there was something I forgot to mention. I am in China and I plan on going to the nearest US Consulate to get it done. Can I still get the pages if I don't need them yet? I still have room for a couple of more visas and residency permits, but I like to be prepared. I read somewhere that pp 22,23, and 24 in US Passports are not visa pages. What are they for? Arrival and departure stamps? residency permits?

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

I think those extra pages technically should not be used for stamps--some immigrations agents in some places will no doubt do it, but if you get a stickler for rules, you could have problems. I have no idea what they are actually for.

You can still have some room left--I was actually at the point of counting individual squares and corners of pages, and I had a few left (plus those extra pages--just one stamp there, I think). You don't need to present a 100% full passport.

d

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

http://travel.state.gov/passport/fri/add/add_850.html

Search time: 2 seconds.

tommchone · Joined: 27 Oct 2009 Posts: 108

I just got the answer from the US Embassy in Beijing:

These pages are reserved for special notes from the Department.

Regards,

American Citizen Services
US Embassy in Beijing

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

they stuck mine in. No sewing, just sticky stuff. I did it in Shanghai and it was free.

Prof.Gringo · Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:18 pm Post subject:

LoPresto · Joined: 27 Oct 2009 Posts: 87

Off that note - it is good to have the local consulate/embassy phone number.

You never know when you might need their help.

Prof.Gringo · Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 10:41 pm Post subject: