Want to order a Federated States of Micronesia passport? Everything you need to know!

Today, I’m going to talk about something a bit different – getting a passport for the Federated States of Micronesia, or FSM for short. Now, I’m no expert, but I went through this whole process myself, and let me tell you, it was quite an adventure.

First off, I needed to figure out if I was even eligible. Turns out, if you’re not born there, you gotta go through this whole naturalization thing. It’s not a walk in the park. You gotta have lived there for at least five years, or be married to an FSM citizen, or be a permanent resident. I found that these were the main ways. I qualified because I lived there for a good long while for work, so I was good to go on that front.

Next up, I got the application form. I got it online from the FSM Embassy website, easy peasy. Then I filled it out, which took some time. Had to make sure all my info was correct. I think I checked it over like, ten times. Better safe than sorry, right?

Then I had to gather all the documents. You know, the usual stuff. I submitted my old passport with the application form, they needed that. Also, I found my birth certificate. But for those who don’t have their birth certificate, you can use a court registered Baptismal Certificate. And since I became a citizen through naturalization, I also provided a copy of my Naturalization Certificate.

I also had to get some passport photos taken. I went to a local shop that does them. They gotta be a specific size, 1 3/16 x 1 3/4 inches. I got a few copies, just in case. They were standard color passport photos. I made sure the photos were identical, as they requested.

Of course, there’s a fee. I paid 50 bucks by money order, payable to the FSM National Treasury. That was pretty straightforward. I double-checked that I wrote the right thing on the money order because you never know, they might just send the whole thing back if you mess that up.

Now, here’s where it got a bit tricky. I learned that all FSM passport applications are processed in Palikir, their capital. That meant I had to mail everything in. I made sure I had everything: the completed, signed, and notarized form, the photos, the payment, and my birth certificate. I even wrote a little note, just to be polite. Then I put it all in an envelope and mailed it. Paid for postage, obviously.

Waiting Game

After that, it was just a waiting game. It took a while, but eventually, I got my FSM passport in the mail. It was such a relief to finally have it in my hands.

So, that’s my story of getting an FSM passport. It wasn’t the easiest thing in the world, but it was definitely doable. Just gotta be patient, organized, and make sure you have all your ducks in a row. Hope this helps anyone out there thinking about going through the same process. Good luck!