"When you look like your passport photo, it's
time to take a vacation."  Erma Bombak

Are you ready to go somewhere?  If you are leaving the Good Ole US of A, you might need a passport.  Some countries, like Canada, Mexico, most of the Caribbean do not require a passport to visit, but it is highly recommended that you have one.  Most countries, including Europe, Africa, the Middle and Far East, Australia, etc., do require a passport and you can't enter without one.

Even if a passport is not required, it is a good idea to have one whenever you visit a foreign country.  Even if you are just crossing the border from El Paso, Texas to Juarez, Mexico, a passport issued by the Government of The United States Of America can be a valuable document to have.

To get a passport, you need five things.  An application, TWO PHOTOGRAPHS (from Jim's Photo Lab, of course), a certified birth certificate, ID (preferably a drivers license) and money. 

Stop Scaring Customs Agents

Here at Jim's Photo Lab, we think that your passport photo is the most important part of your passport.  Sure the customs stamps look cool and the dog-eared pages show what a seasoned traveler you are, but the photograph is what every customs official looks at when you enter and leave his/her country.  Jim's Photo Lab takes the best passport photographs in El Paso.  Jim's uses the Sony "Passport 2000" system for our photographs.  Sony bills it as "The Photograph You Will Want To Take With You."  With the Sony 2000, we take two or three photos and you choose the one that looks best.  If none of those work, we can shoot more until you like what you see.  You are going to have your passport for 10 years, so shouldn't you have the best looking photo possible?

Passport photos are only $10.99 and you don't need an appointment.  In less than five minutes after arriving at Jim's you will be walking out the door with your new - and good looking - passport photos in hand.

US Passports are issued by the state department.  Their website at http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html has a wealth of information and should answer any question you should have about getting your passport

When you get to your foreign destination, you will notice that their money is in Pounds, Lira, Francs, Rubles or something else that isn't US Dollar Bills.  Chase Bank has a great website that has a conversion calculator and even an easy way to order foreign currency before you leave - go to http://www.chase.com/currencytogo for information. 

If you are an American Express cardholder, check with American Express for information on currency and travelers checks, they are often less expensive than Chase.