Passport Pricing

Nobody enjoys the bureaucracy of the passport-obtaining process.

The long lines, planning ahead, and agency fees along the way make for an all around frustrating experience, if you’re caught off guard! Ever wondered why those pesky passport fees can seem to rack up pretty fast?

$110? What gives?

That 110 dollar amount is the current price of a a US passport for adults over the age of 16. The amount has actually been in place since it was originally set in July 2010. At that time, when the price was increased, the difference came out to $35 over the previous fee of $75.

The $110 charged for US passports is actually comprised of two separate fees. As such, the base fee for a passport book is actually considered to be $70, and there is an additional, second fee of $40 for a Passport Book Security Surcharge.

Amazingly, even this surcharge is further broken down into a $22 charge to (in order to cover the costs of meeting the increased demand for US passports), and an $18 Enhanced Border Security Fee-Well, when you put it that way…

Basically, if you examine the reality of this whole passport fee situation, the money tacked on to your transaction is really just going to the State Department pay for all the additional personnel they’ve been forced to hire in order to accommodate the surge of passport applications since 2006, and toward forward-thinking measures like the biometric chips and streamlined Automated Passport Control kiosks (which have made international travel safer and more efficient).

Take your photos like a pro and be sure to message us at ePassportPhoto to get quick guidance from our representatives!