La Mesa Post Office To Host Passport Fair Saturday

LA MESA, CA — Passport fairs are slated this weekend at several San Diego area Post Offices, including in La Mesa, ahead of the summer travel season.

The events are part of a series of passport fairs that will take place Saturday at 17 post offices in San Diego, San Bernardino and Imperial Counties, according to the U.S. Postal Service.

"Now that COVID-19 concerns have declined and nations are welcoming back travelers, many Southern California residents are eager to get out and see the world," San Diego Postmaster Justine Valadez said in a statement. "We encourage our customers to plan ahead and get their passport applications in now. The U.S. Passport Agency's processing time for new passports is longer than usual due to extremely high demand."

Postal employees at each participating location will accept applications for new U.S. passports during the events on a first come, first serve basis. Registration is not required.

Applicants are advised to complete their DS-11 new passport application in advance, print it out and bring it with them unsigned, along with an acceptable passport photo, fees and documents. Fees can be paid with cash, debit cards or money orders.

"The purpose of these events is to make the process of applying for new passports easy for our customers," Valadez said. "A lot of people, especially those with schoolchildren, don't have the time during the week to visit a post office to submit their passport applications."

Passport fairs in San Diego County: