Have you renewed your passport recently?

[Jon J]

I have. The Passport Renewal website advises it can take eight to eleven weeks for renewal. So, taking this into account I submitted my paperwork to the Philadelphia address on March 2nd and as promised by the USPS it arrived on March 8th. The travel time for the documents is not counted in the projected time needed to renew.

The processing website acknowledged the documents' arrival on March 9th.

My new passport arrived in my mailbox on March 25th.

This government agency has my admiration.

 

[harshness]

Given how little recreational travel is going on, there's probably not a lot of traffic in the offices that process passports. Mine expired last June and I'm going to wait a while before I renew it.

 

[Foxbat]

My son wants to travel out of the Country next summer and wanted to know how much of a pain it would be to renew his Passport. Since he wasn’t 16 when he got his current Passport, he needs to apply in person instead of being able to do it through the mail. So, a little more effort.

Renew my U.S. passport

Find out how to renew your U.S. passport

travel.state.gov

 

[Kraven]

Renwals were a major issues this year. Passport Canada ETA's the kid's renewal for early June. Missed out on summer travel as its arrived at the end of September.

 

[nelson61]

State Department has reopened their beta program for on-line passport renewals.

They have been working on it for several years and must be getting closer to having the bugs worked out.

Renew my Passport Online

This page includes information about the beta release of our online passport renewal system, and instructions to complete your application.

travel.state.gov

 

[klang]

Had mine renewed in April. 8 Day turnaround paying for expedited. Probably didn't really need expedited.

 

[harshness]

State Department has reopened their beta program for on-line passport renewals.

I did mine using the online renewal a couple of years ago. It worked well enough but getting answers wasn't easy.

 

[Foxbat]

I just renewed mine last month. It took about six weeks, like they said it would. I had connected online and signed up for status updates, but my new passport arrived in the mail and nary a peep.

I will say, the new ID page is definitely a step above the previous passport, now it's a plastic page about the thickness of a credit card (maybe a little heavier) and all the information is laser-etched. It has a definite tactile feedback to it, I'm sure to counter counterfeiting.

 

[lakebum431]

I applied for passports for all four kids (first passport for each). Mailed on Aug 1 so I assume they would have received on Aug 5th or 6th. Regular mail not overnight. Standard (not expedited) service. Checked status a couple times and it showed in progress and signed up for email alerts. Just got notification that they were all approved ~24 days from receipt and checked online and see tracking numbers for each scheduled to arrive on Wed 9/4. So including regular mail time both directions it is right at 1 month 3 days. Honestly, not bad at all.

 

[mdonnelly]

The only thing that I don't like about the renewal process is that I have to send them my current passport with my application. I don't like not having a passport for 6 weeks.

 

[harshness]

The only thing that I don't like about the renewal process is that I have to send them my current passport with my application.

If you can use the online renewal system, you don't snail mail anything. I still have my expired passport.

The hardest part with the online system may be getting a cheap passport photo. I took my own with my digital camera but it wasn't as easy as I hoped (mostly from a lighting perspective).

 

[lakebum431]

The only thing that I don't like about the renewal process is that I have to send them my current passport with my application. I don't like not having a passport for 6 weeks.

Totally agree. I had to sneak my own in between trips and am barely going to make it.

If you can use the online renewal system, you don't snail mail anything. I still have my expired passport.

The hardest part with the online system may be getting a cheap passport photo. I took my own with my digital camera but it wasn't as easy as I hoped (mostly from a lighting perspective).

They mail your old expired passport back if you send it in so you still get it back. And it doesn't really help as your old passport is null as soon as you apply online. You also can't do expedited service via the online renewal at this time. I expect that is coming in the future, but it is still in beta.

I had heard talk at one point about automatic renewal, where they would send you a new one when your old one expired, but not sure where that went. I guess I have 10 years to figure it out as soon as my new one gets back.

 

[harshness]

I had heard talk at one point about automatic renewal, where they would send you a new one when your old one expired, but not sure where that went.

Because it requires a current (and compliant) photo, that's not possible.

As I said, if you do the online renewal, you don't have to mail in anything.

 

[lakebum431]

Because it requires a current (and compliant) photo, that's not possible.

As I said, if you do the online renewal, you don't have to mail in anything.

That would easily be fixed by allowing a digital photo. The majority of visas that I used to get required a hard copy photo too, but now all accept a digital one.

 

[harshness]

That would easily be fixed by allowing a digital photo.

The online system does just that as well as instantly validating the picture for suitability.

As I said, as long as the online submission is possible, it is the better choice by far.

 

[lakebum431]

The online system does just that as well as instantly validating the picture for suitability.

As I said, as long as the online submission is possible, it is the better choice by far.

Except that at this time it does not offer expedited processing.

 

[harshness]

Except that at this time it does not offer expedited processing.

"Expedited" isn't what it used to be. There's "Urgent" (less than two weeks?) and Life-or-Death for such things. The best you should hope for is a one-month turnaround with Expedited.

Today, most main post offices offer "passport center" service where they will take your photo and submit all the paperwork. You have to make an appointment. Urgent and Life-or-Death may be options using this method.

In the grand scheme, unless you're younger than 16, you've known for ten years that your passport was going to expire.

 

[lakebum431]

"Expedited" isn't what it used to be. There's "Urgent" (less than two weeks?) and Life-or-Death for such things. The best you should hope for is a one-month turnaround with Expedited.

Today, most main post offices offer "passport center" service where they will take your photo and submit all the paperwork. You have to make an appointment. Urgent and Life-or-Death may be options using this method.

In the grand scheme, unless you're younger than 16, you've known for ten years that your passport was going to expire.

I'm sorry, that just isn't true. It is much faster than the standard service (which is right at a month) - I just got the kids passports delivered today which was 32 days after I mailed them to agency. The expedited is essentially half of that.

The reality is that you can get a passport in 1 day or less (just had one of the people on my team who had to get a renewal for her son the day that they were traveling from ATL because he didn't have 6 months left and they didn't realize it). She was able to get him a passport later the same day and he was on the next flight.

 

[harshness]

I'm sorry, that just isn't true. It is much faster than the standard service (which is right at a month) - I just got the kids passports delivered today which was 32 days after I mailed them to agency. The expedited is essentially half of that.

Apparently you haven't visited the Department of State website in a while.

All forms of renewal (standard - eight weeks, Expedited - four to six weeks, Urgent - two to three weeks) other than Life-or-Death are available through major USPS offices. No mailing is required on the applicants part and they'll take the photo. It will cost a bit more, but but they handle everything on your behalf.

Back in the day, "Expedited" meant two weeks to three weeks. Now it may take up to six weeks.

Expedited service is available for all application formats (including online) by tossing them another $60 plus $21.36 for two-day shipping after the fact.

As I said, the expiration date is known ten years in advance and is printed clearly in the passport itself so there are few excuses for having to rush it.

As for the turnaround time, that varies widely based on the time of year. In the Fall, the turnaround is probably much faster than in the Spring due to the number of applications. When I applied online in March, I was initially told the turnaround was 28 days plus shipping but subsequently they were quoting six week. I think I received my passport book in 36 days. The time from approval to having the book in my hands was six days (you can track the progress online).

 

[klang]

I stated up thread I got 8 day turnaround for expedited in April.