These passports do not need a visa in almost 200 countries 0:57
(CNN) -
It seems that few things escape the scourge of inflation these days, and that will soon include American passports.
On December 27, the price for a US passport will increase by US $ 20 for everyone, the US State Department announced.
US State Department issues first passport indicating gender "X"
Why the price increase?
In a tweet, the State Department said: "The rate increase is necessary to ensure that we continue to produce one of the most secure travel and identity documents in the world."
How much will it cost in total?
There are several personal factors that go into calculating the cost, including what type of passport one wants, whether it is a renewal or a first passport, and how quickly you need it.
An example: For an adult renewing a US passport by mail, the current fee is $ 110. Adding in the additional $ 20 to be charged starting next week, the price will be $ 130, or an increase. 18.2%.
For comparison, consumer price inflation increased 6.8% without seasonal adjustments during the 12-month period ending in November.
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You can quickly find out how much a passport will cost you with this Department of State fee calculator.
And here you can consult a table in PDF of passport fees.
Mail vs.
online
We are at the end of 2021 and traditional mail is still the standard way to obtain a passport.
But last week, President Joe Biden signed an executive order directing government agencies to develop systems that provide more efficient customer service.
For current US passport holders, that would eventually allow them to renew their passbooks online.
The order gave US agencies 180 days to inform the state president of their efforts.
Where does this passport take you?
(Jim Lo Scalzo / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock)
Before the pandemic, the United States was near the top of the "best passports" list, providing access to 184 destinations in 2019.
Then in the summer of 2020, when the pandemic was still relatively new and borders were closed in many places, that American passport allowed entry to a very limited number of places.
Mexico and Turkey were two of the top destinations on a short list of options.
Since then, that list has grown, and at times contracted, in response to the ebbs and flows of the pandemic.
There are still popular places that American citizens cannot visit for pleasure: Japan, for example.
But overall, US passport holders, especially those who are fully vaccinated, have a much wider selection of overseas destinations now than a year and a half ago, even with the omicron variant of the novel coronavirus causing concern across the world. world.
Argentina and Canada reopened their doors to US passport holders in recent months.
Much of America and Europe are open.
There are quite a number of options in Africa.
Asia and the Australia / Pacific region still have the fewest options.
See here a list of places that American travelers can currently go.
And check out the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's travel advisories on covid-19 risk here.
CNN's Anneken Tappe contributed to this article.
Passports