My passport expires in May, so I finally went out today to get my special format American passport photos taken at a photo store. The American Consular Post in Toulouse provides a pdf with a list of a few places around Toulouse that will do the special photos.
I convinced B to accompany me downtown, and we arrived at the photo store. After asking for the American passport photos and taking off my coat and scarf and moving to the designated spot, the photographer told me to take off my headband and pearl earrings.
"Huh? I can wear these in American id photos. Maybe not in French but for American pictures these aren't forbidden."
"Ah no, you can't have them, and you wouldn't want your pictures to be refused!" he responds. He read off the description that says uniforms, hats, and sunglasses can't be worn and expects me to somehow understand from that that headbands and earrings fit that description.
A rather heated debate followed with the photographer telling me I can't have my headband and me saying the Americans don't care and it's to keep my hair off of my face anyway which actually is important.
B, embarrassed, tried to get me to calm down, but I went so far as to get out my current passport to show that my slight smile was allowed, unlike French id photos. I used the completely valid (in my mind) argument that I'm going to be stuck with the photo for the next 10 years, so I don't want it to be horrible. The photographer tried to reassure me by saying I surely wouldn't have the picture for 10 years because the Americans would probably make me change my passport before then (B urged me to disregard his crazy idea).
In the end, we got the picture taken, and then he even touched it up evening out my skin and erasing a stray hair. I paid 12€ for 3 photos (only 2 are needed, but whatever), and B and I even chatted with him about random other stuff before leaving.
When I got home I looked up the guidelines on the State department website, and in the guide for photographers every woman shown has jewelry! It also expressly forbids touching up the photos like the photographer did! I guess if I can't have my pearl earrings at least I can have smooth blemish free skin.
Now I just need to fill out the application online and print out the completed form to mail with my photos and passport to Marseille.
Can anyone tell me how quickly they got their new passport when they renewed by mail? I'm kind of paranoid I'll send it in, and then something will come up where I need my passport (grandmother passing away, récipisée expiring...) and I won't have it.
7 comments:
When I sent my passport to Paris to be renewed (around this time last year) it only took about 2-3 weeks! I remember Ksam telling me it was a speedy turn around time and it sure was...
never had any experiences with the marseilles one though..
I have to do that too because my passport expires in May as well. I'm not too keen on sending my current passport in by mail, but I guess I have no choice. They send the expired back with the new one though right? I'm not sure if the regulations for canadian passport photos are different than the american ones, but that guy sounded like he had no idea what he was doing...surprise surprise.
I sent mine in for a name change (finally switching over to using my husband's name after we had a baby...)m and I honestly can say that the turn around was under a week. I sent it in using a chronopost envelope, and sent them a second one to return it to me in, and they sent me both my old and new passport within one week. I was very pleased with the embassy!!
Only took 8-10 days to renew mine. I was pleasantly surprised!
Yes, as everyone says it was super fast! Almost exactly a week if not maybe a day less. That's a good price for photos though, my dude charged me 18 euros for two!
Looks like I have nothing to fear then! No more reasons to procrastinate then...
We did photos for my older daughter's renewal and my own last year at the photo place closest to the consulate here in Paris and they told us things had changed alot recently- definitely no smiling and be very careful about the headwear/jewelery thing. I would be most worried about the photoshop stuff he did though- they nearly rejected our photos for something much smaller than that.
The turnaround was super fast for us as well- we had them back in under a week.
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