If you need extra passport pages, or need anything else done at your nearest embassy, hurry. Fees will be changed on July 13, 2010 — with most of them being raised. Some of them a lot.
Here’s the full list:
What especially annoys me is the new fee for having pages added to your passport. US $85! That’s up from zero. I can understand needing to charge something, but hey: It’s just a few slips of paper. They often add them on the spot while you wait, I believe. They say these fees are based on a cost of service survey that they conducted, and I’m sure they put a lot of thought into this, but no matter what, $85 is a lot to charge for simply plunking some paper into your passport. Maybe they just want you to get a new one, so they make the fees similar? That seems likely to me.
The fees for some of the legal work have also been raised dramatically. I can’t comment on whether they’re appropriate, however.
What’s amusing is the new fee for renouncing your citizenship. I guess it didn’t cost you anything previously if you didn’t want to be a US citizen. Now they’re going to try to get $450 out of you before you go. I’m curious what happens if people refuse to pay.
Here’s the official notice: New Consular Fees in Effect on July 13, 2010.
Those fees are ridiculous – I think this is just the start of it. The U.S. is making it easier and easier to come here, but harder and harder to leave. Hmm wonder why??
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