By Daily Press staff
Leaving the country will be easier for Santa Monicans after this weekend. The Santa Monica Post Office, located at 1248 Fifth Street, is set to host a passport fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 22. Customers will be able to apply and submit their passport applications and have their passport photos taken.
The Western Hemisphere Initiative will require all travelers, including U.S. citizens, to have a valid passport by Dec. 31 in order to re-enter the U.S. when traveling to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Applicants will need an original birth certificate, or certificate of naturalization, in addition to a valid driver’s license or government issued I.D. card. Regular passport service costs $97, and applicants will receive their passports in six weeks. Expedited service is available for $60.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 22, 2006. Read the original PDF.