NEW RULES!

By CHRIS BUNTING

October 17, 2006 -- PASSPORTS are our blue, pocket-sized life stories told in polychromatic stamps instead of words -- and it's the last thing you want to leave in the backseat of a taxi if coming back home from vacation is one of your short term goals.
    Most Americans, however, don't worry about losing their passport. They haven't got one.
    But if they intend to ever go beyond these four walls, they had better rectify the situation. And soon.
    Starting in January, the passport rules are changing. In most cases, they will be mandatory for re-entry in to the United States.
Unsurprisingly, the changes are completely knotted up in confusing minutia and red tape.
    Cruise passengers, for example, will not need a passport when coming back from Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean. At least not until 2009. Ditto for people driving from Mexico or Canada.
    But people flying from Mexico or Canada? Better have that passport along, if you want to avoid some quality time with crabby customs agents who would just love for you to make their day.
    Confused? Scared? Don't worry. Everyone is. We're here to help. Read on.

So, where do I get a passport?
The New York Passport Agency is located at 376 Hudson Street. The hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday-Friday.
The automated appointment number is (877) 487-2778

Back up for a minute. What's the rule change again?
New federal rules - affectionately known to friends as the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative - are due to kick in on January 8. These rules will require air travelers returning home from Bermuda, The Bahamas, The Caribbean, Canada and Mexico to have a passport.

Why not drivers and cruisers?
They aren't off the hook entirely. Entry by both land and sea will also require a passport, beginning in June of 2009.

Okay. Where were we?
You were about to head down to Hudson Street to get a passport. You'll need Form DS-11.

Wha?
That's the fancy term for the Application for Passport. You can download one at travel.state.gov, or fill it out while you wait at the agency.
Also required: Proof of citizenship, which usually means birth certificate, proof of identity, which means driver's license or military ID, plus two passport photos (go to Kinko's, remember to smile), your social security number, and money.

Money? How much?
Lots of it. And it's not refundable.
Age 16 and older: The passport application fee is $67. The execution fee (no wonder nobody wants to get a passport!) is $30. The total is $97.
Under Age 16: It's $52. The execution fee is $30. The total = $82.
The passport application fee includes the $12.00 Security Surcharge.

How long must I wait?
You can figure on a six-week wait.
However, if you're leaving, like, tomorrow, overnight service is available for $60, on top of fees and delivery costs. Going in person is faster and cheaper. Bring proof of travel for no later than 14 days (plane ticket, cruise documents).

Don't we have people to do this sort of thing for us?
Yes. Yes you do. There are a number of firms specializing in speedy passport and visa services. Check your friendly internets, or an upcoming edition of NYP Travel, where we will be reviewing at least four such firms.

I've heard something about an e-passport. How do I get me one of those?
Try to ignore the Brave New Worldness of it all. The Department of State has begun issuing Electronic Passports with biometric chips inside that contain your biographical data, a digital photo, and the date your passport expires.
Unlocked and read electronically, the book's guarded by anti-skimming technology so your info can't be stolen. Diplomats already use them, but they're only available to civilians at the Colorado Passport Agency (where the pilot program started last August). According to the DoS, e-passports are expected to be available at all domestic passport agencies by the end of the year.