The start of summer means the start of travel season, and if you're going out of the country, applying for a passport is the last thing you want to be thinking about on top of buying plane tickets through cryptic airline websites, standing in endless lines of screaming children at airport security, or figuring out how to avoid the runs when you're in Mexico.

Luckily for you, the Downtown Denver Post Office, at 951 20th Street, is holding a special passport fair this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., when you can both apply for and renew passports with expedited ease. If you bring the proper materials, you can have your passports processed in one day, avoiding the process of applying weeks in advance that is normally required. To receive a new passport, make sure to bring:



Proof of your American citizenship. This includes a birth certificate issued by a city, county or state; a previous U.S. passport; a certificate of citizenship; or a certificate of naturalization. Unfortunately, hospital-issued birth certificates aren't sufficient.

Proof of identity, which must be a previous U.S. passport; a naturalization certificate; a certificate of citizenship; or a current valid driver’s license, government ID or military photo ID.

A recent photograph. If you forget this, you can pay $15 to use the photography services available at the fair.



Make sure to bring cash or a check, as credit cards won't be accepted (the process can't be too easy). It could also help to fill out applications in advance, but wait to sign them, as witnesses might be required.

You also have the choice of applying for a passport book or a passport card. The book is your standard passport, covering general international travel. The card, which is less costly, may only be used for land and sea travel between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean –– still plenty of places to go for a great beach getaway.

