Current Promotion
If you are looking to have any passport photos taken before the end of the year, there is currently a special promotions going on at AAA for their members! Until the end of the year, all passport photos are free! Don’t forget you can also use these for International Driving Permits! All you have to do is head over to a local AAA branch, present your membership card and get your photo taken. For non-members AAA is charging a $20 fee.
If you are not a AAA member, you may want to consider joining to take advantage of their deal. Their lowest tier membership is only $56 a year. If you subtract the $20 you would normally pay for photos, the effective annual fee goes down to $36 a year. If you do a lot of driving, AAA is nice to have as they are well known for their emergency roadside assistance. I’m a person who has accidentally locked her keys in the car multiple times and who has experienced getting a flat tire at night. I will gladly pay for the piece of mind to use their roadside service.
If you are in Canada, CAA has a similar promotion going on, but the free passport photos are only available with their Plus and Premier level memberships. CAA is offering one free passport photo a year! They also offer digital and a combo package for some of the most competitive prices I have seen on the market.
Passport Reminders
As a friendly reminder, always ensure you check the expiration date of your passport before you are set to travel. Some countries require a certain amount of validity be left to your passport in order to enter the country. Children’s passports may not be valid as long as adults. In the US, for example, they are only good for 5 years!
If you are looking to take your passport photos elsewhere, make sure you follow the appropriate rules for you government. Most countries require the photos be taken within the last 6 months and are a size of 2×2. For US residents, the US Department of State has some helpful tips for your photos here.
Lastly, if you are in a hurry, don’t leave renewing or obtaining your passport until the last minute. You want to ensure you receive it in plenty of time and are able to go on your vacation! The busiest time of year for the mail service in almost every country is approaching! Mail can be slower than expected and people who process passports will have more vacation and holidays off. Hope this helps you! Until next time, happy travels!