A Passport Renewal: The Gift That Keeps On Giving?
A passport renewal is one of the best gifts to give and to receive. Here's why:
The World is Your Oyster
As a child, who didn't idolize explorers like Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus? Sure, the entire planet has basically been mapped out at this point, but so what? Even the most practiced, seemingly jaded world travelers are constantly exploring. If you keep your US passport up to date by applying for a passport renewal when necessary, the entire world will remain open to you whenever you want to travel.
Last-Minute Travel Deals
There's something especially exciting about being able to leave the country on a whim. While a spur of the moment trip abroad may be financially out of reach most of the time, if you keep your eyes open you can still find great last-minute travel deals on lodging and flights. With a passport renewal to keep your travel documents current, you'll be all set to go.
Good for a Whole Decade
What other gift would expect the recipient to still be enjoying 10 years from now? Electronics, tacky sweaters, underwear... almost nothing is built to last an entire decade any more! Almost nothing except for a US passport, that is. Once you have your passport renewal completed, you're good to travel the world for the next decade!
Gifting a Passport Renewal
The only thing tricky about gifting a passport renewal is wrapping it. After all, the application form has to be signed by the applicant, and you'll need a current passport photo. That's kind of hard to do without giving the game away, no?
Your best option would be to print up a "gift certificate" for the passport renewal, then wrap like you usually would in a box or envelope, perhaps with a copy of the applicable application Form DS-82. When the recipient opens it, explain that you'll be taking them to get their passport photo and paying for the renewal. They'll be overjoyed, and you'll get the satisfaction of knowing that you enabled them to continue to travel.