Just did our kids' passport last week. Did expedited; not overnight/second-day mail.

October 16: Applied in person (local court)
October 22: Application received:
October 23: Check cashed
Locator number: 45 (National/Portsmouth)

Status changes:
October 23: "In Process"(with an estimated time frame of 2-3 weeks)
October 25: "Approved; will be printed"
October 25: "Shipped" (pre-shipment) from TUCSON.

October 31: Delivered via Priority Mail (it missed the Friday night cutoff otherwise would have been here 2+ days ago).
November 1: Old passport delivered via first class.

this system is super efficient.

10 days from receipt to printing for a name change application to re-issue with new name. Things seem to be humming along at the passport office now.

Expedited Renewal
11/4 - Passport application received in Philly
11/9 - Passport delivered by priority mail
definitely can't complain

Anyone renew and request the thicker book? Wondering if that takes longer
Used up all my pages in 5yrs going to europe.

Takes the same amount of time, in fact since doing away with page add ons, their stock of bigger passports has increased. I wonder how much extra money they have made out of this, I used to blow through each addition every 18 months on average, but add on pages cost nothing. The only thing saving me from having to renew every year or two are the move away by certain countries from stamping passports (UK, HK, the US itself for US citizens) Certain countries doing away with full page visas, and doing so in an E format, certain countries moving toward longer term visas (So 1 ten year China visa rather than 10+ over a ten year period, 10 year India visas etc), and second passports moving to 4 from 2 year durations. That being said even with bigger passports, I am still spending far more per decade than I was before.

I thought about the thicker book 5yrs ago but I thought I'd be ok and didnt want to have to carry around a thicker book. I only blew threw the pages because in the past 5yrs, my opportunities to visit asia have been few and far between so I visited Europe alot. The agents don't take any effort to try to fit more stamps on the existing pages first. Schengen keeps saying they are getting rid of stamps but it keeps getting delayed. Ofcourse now, it's become far more difficult to find upgrades going to europe so I've been visiting asia more.

I find that judicious use of a paperclip to direct an immigration where to stamp helps greatly. I just clip over all the blank pages in the back except one. Some don't like that and remove the paperclip to have a look. But they almost always see what I'm trying to do and find a place to stamp without picking the middle of some rand:Dm page.

Good idea. I saw a random "Travel blog" that suggested placing postit notes over all the spots except where you want them to stamp. That sounds like someone who has never traveled.

However, regardless, I think I'll still get the thicker book. If the paperclip trick doesnt work, I dont want to have to renew so early again

I always get the thicker book. 10 years is a l:cool:ng time and I know I'll fill up the smaller one.

With more and more countries going with e-gates for passport control and/or e-Visas if a visa is needed, it will be increasingly more difficult to get the pages stamped.

Many asian countries still stamp.
Just goto europe (schengen) and you'll get a stamp. Even after going through the e-gate, they still stamp it. Then when you leave again. I know with the new system you don't need one but that system's been delayed many times. Not quite as bad as real id. Sometimes on a single trip I may enter and exit schengen more than once and lose a whole page. If you take the train or bus across, I notice the guards take care to stamp and everyone has 8-10 stamps on a page. I guess the people that ride some of those cross frequently. But going through the airport, it's mostly 4. Once you're down to 1-2 pages, then they might start to care but its too late.

My point was that the number of instances where a stamp is required is decreasing.

For instance Singapore just went all e-Gate and no more stamps.

And while Japan still gets you the stamp inbound, outbound has EU will go stamp-less in the future.

UK also is stampless.

Taking my own travel patterns, if I almost filled up the extra pages passport before with my old passport, with the new passport, many of the stamps will not be there anymore, so will likely end up with left over blank pages.

Does anyone know if there is a way to get a second US passport without sending in one's current US passport (this would help me as I am filling up blank pages that are set for stamps)? Can one get an appointment for this? Or is there a way to do this by sending in one's passport card and other identification, or is the only way to do this being without a passport for a couple of weeks?

https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...port-book.html

Thanks for sending the link. The thing that I was unclear about is whether if one chooses the option "Apply in person at an acceptance facility or passport agency using Form DS-11 if you cannot submit your passport book", a valid reason for this is that one does not have time to wait to get the passport back because of upcoming international travel, or if they only mean for reasons such as having a lost or damaged passport.

Also, there is no risk of having one's passport invalidated from doing this at a passport acceptance facility is there (the way that if one renews one's passport online one's passport becomes invalid)?

No, the primary is not invalidated as is done with renewals or replacement due to lost, stolen, or damaged.

Timeline for renewal, routine service:

11/15/2024: Application mailed via USPS 2-day service
11/18/2024: Package received in Irving, TX, P.O. box - status online "Not Available"
11/19/2024: Status online "In Progress" - locator prefix 43 (New Orleans)
11/20/2024: Check cashed
11/21/2024: Received email notification of "In Progress" status
12/05/2024: USPS notification (with tracking number) of package shipped from "PASSPORT SERVICES/DOS HOT SPRINGS"
12/07/2024: New passport delivered to mailbox. Sender address is New Orleans. Passport issue date is 12/04/2024.
12/08/2024: Online status still "In Progress" (no further emails received from DOS)

Considering the Thanksgiving holiday break, this is an impressive processing time. Expecting the passport card and old passport in the coming days. Will update those timelines then.

Good luck to all.

That's a wrap.

12/09/2024: Old passport book received. Sender address is Sterling, VA (though titled New Orleans Passport Center)
12/09/2024: New passport card received. Sender address is New Orleans, LA
12/09/2024: Online status still "In Progress" (no further emails received from DOS)

Great service!

Final update:

12/12/2024: Online status changed to "Supporting documents mailed" (also received an email from DOS with same status)

I guess they don't use status "Approved" anymore. Ah well.

A bit longer trek than Duality due to my mistake but similar:

10/31/24 Submitted application online
11/4/24 Received email Acknowledging receipt
11/29/24 Received email (and later letter) saying they didn't like the photo I uploaded because I was wearing ear buds. So, I went to CVS for old fashioned passport photos
12/3/24 Mailed passport photos via regular US mail but sent from main post office in Boston so would get right in the stream
12/12/24 Received email acknowledging receipt of photos and saying application was in process "again"
12/16/24 Received email saying application was Approved and they did use that word
12/16/24 Received email saying passport with shipped with tracking number
12/18/24 Received passport

I just did my renewal online.

Submitted online 12/6/24
Payment marked "received" 12/9/24
Passport delivered 12/16/24

NYC

Looks like there may be a government shutdown - maybe we squeaked under the wire.

This is interesting. I'm curious why the notification process behaves differently for different applicants. Ostensibly, the DoS uses the same software for processing and notification. My only guess is that notifications are triggered with one or more optional check-boxes that need to be clicked and some DoS employees just don't bother. If that's the case, this is poor process/UI design. If an applicant chooses to be notified, as I did, they should receive all status updates automatically (and promptly). Otherwise, the system should just send minimal notifications or none at all.

(I'm NOT complaining. This has been a wonderful experience for me. :))

I apparently used up all my pages in less than 3yrs so applied for a big book. (Thanks to lazy placement of Schengen stamps). I had travel in about a month but picked Routine Service.

12/18/2024: Mailed using First Class Mail (I'm in a suburb of Philadelphia)
12/21/2024: Delivered
12/24/2024: Check Cashed
12/25/2024: Notification received 12/24 (78 Locator, El Paso, TX)
12/31/2024: Notification that application was approved
12/31/2024: Notification that passport has shipped (tracking number provided)
01/02/2024: Notification that passport is printing and USPS shows shipped (Priority Mail From Little Rock).
01/02/2024: Notification that supporting documents shipped (First Class mail)
01/06/2024: New and Old Passport Received from El Paso in separate envelopes

From mailing to receipt was 19 calendar days. But from delivery to shipping was only 8 business days. Pretty good for routine service. And I still have 2 weeks til I travel

Wondering with all the stuff going on with federal agencies now, how fast will processing be? Anyone with recent approvals? Sent in a minor's in mid January. They did acknowledge receiving it but have not processed it yet.

Since you submitted the minor's passport application in mid-January, your data point (DP) is likely to be among the first. Please let us know. :tu:

Data point: Minor requiring new application. Went to USPS in 33707 on 12/24 and was told the application was incomplete because we were missing our marriage cert.
Set a new appointment in 95008, USPS said we didn't need marriage certificate and that person was wrong :rolleyes: since we look like the parents. YMMV I suppose.

Regular Processing: $100+35
Passport Intake: 1/22
Accepted: 1/27 (Location Code 57 SF)
Approved: 2/10
Mailed: 2/11 (From PASSPORT SERVICES/DOS HOT SPRINGS, Arkansas)
Delivered: 2/13

NGP with issue date of 2/8

In processing: 14 days
Total time: 22 days

Other child in 2026, 5 years is too short.

I renewed early because I was running out of blank pages, and since it wasn't within a year of expiration I could not use the online system. I chose routine service.

1/27 application sent in the morning via priority mail to the Philadelphia center
1/30 passport tracking showed it as received, 45xx locator (Portsmouth, NH)
2/24 approval email notification
2/25 shipped notification with a USPS tracking number
2/25 a second approval email identical to the first
3/1 new passport card received (regular mail); also the tracking number finally becomes active in the USPS system
3/8 old docs received (regular mail)
3/12 after a hilarious tracking history involving the new passport book bouncing back and forth between the distribution center at IAD and a post office 20 miles away from me 4 times, I asked them to hold it so I could pick it up in person (see OMNI thread for details :D)

I'm an American and currently outside the US. I will be flying back to the US soon. I'm going to NYC. I am planning to stay in the US for 2-3 weeks before flying back outside the US. The thing is my passport is going to expire in a few months so I have to renew my passport before I leave the US. The last time I did a passport renewal was 10 years ago. I recall going to a passport photo store and getting photos taken. Then I recall few days later going to a building and pretty sure it was in Manhattan in NYC to renew my passport. I know that I paid more to get my passport faster. I believe I booked an appointment either online or giving them a call and then going there. I recall waiting a long time outside I believe to get into the building and another time waiting a long time in a room with a lot of other people waiting for the passport afterwards. Does that sound right?


So I did an urgent passport appointment correct? So an urgent passport and expedited is not the same right? Expedited just means they still will send it to you by mail but just faster? The thing is I recall me bringing a copy of my upcoming booked flight and it was less than 2 weeks as proof and bringing it to that office. I don't remember exactly if I received the new passport the same day that I brought my documents or I had to go back a day or few days later but I think it might have been the same day? I believe the old passport got sent by regular mail to my address days later but I don't remember. Can anyone tell me what happens here?


Based on this, can someone give me advice on the best way to get an appointment fast and making an appointment? Say I'm going to be back in NYC on March 17. Say I'm planning to leave NYC on April 3. As of right now, is there anything I can do while outside the US such as give them a call to make an appointment? Or wait till I'm back in NYC first? I still have to get passport photos taken. Where is the best place to take passport photos? I recall the place I went to was a like a photo shop for passport photos. I believe Walgreens has passport photos as well so which is preferred? Either of them give you the option to choose from several photos right? The thing is when I call for an appointment, does anyone know how soon one can get an appointment? Like if I call them when I get back or say right now, could I ask for an appointment on say March 24 about a week after I get back? Or is it possible that there is no urgent appointments available till much later? Do some people call and can get an appointment the next day? So if they have a flight the following day. I have to assume they could make an appointment for someone the next day if their flight is the following day? So should I give them a call soon then before I get back to the US or that isn't recommended? So whether I book a flight for April 3 now or when I get back isn't an issue right? I can always do that once I have an appointment booked and then bring that document to them?


Based on this information, what is the best way for me to get a passport fast? Can someone give me advice on when I should call and around what dates I should have my appointment if they give me the option of choosing the date? Say I'm back in NYC on March 17 and plan to leave on April 3. So the earliest my appointment could be would be March 20? But most likely I won't be able to get an appointment that soon? So try get an appointment say on March 24 and afterwards is fine but just make sure it's before April right? The other thing I thought I read was you want a very early appointment before a certain time because if you do, you get your new passport the same day. Is that true or false? So if you get a later appointment for that day, you have to come back a day or few days later? I would want to avoid that.


Can someone tell me the total cost of this? So this urgent passport costs more than expedited right? And how much more? I recall something about $60 more but is that expedited vs regular mail? For me to get the new passport fast, I have to do urgent appointments as opposed to expedited right? Expedited would be risky right as it could take a lot longer? But I don't have to go to the office if I do that right? Would expedited work if I get passport photos the next day and then send in the application the next day or that probably is making it close? When do I get back my old passport if I do the urgent appointment? What form of payment do they accept at the office for urgent passport? I believe if you do a regular passport renewal by mail, it's money order right? But at the office, I assume you can pay with cash or debit or credit card? Or you need money order for that? I want to make sure that I get my passport at least a few days before I leave. Is it even possible to get my old passport back before I leave or that is not possible?

check to see if you’re eligible for online renewal. that should be the fastest way to do it

jerry90210 , for future reference, it is possible to renew your U.S. passport in person at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate in Mexico City under certain circumstances. Won't help you this time, but keep it in mind if you're in Mexico ten years from now.

https://mx.usembassy.gov/passports/#navigator

Are you legally resident where you live? Will your passport be valid the day you return there? If so I would just go back home, make an appointment at your local Embassy or consulate, and just do it there, and you'll get it in Max 3 weeks, maybe much less.


If you insist on doing it in NY: Here is the DoS page that will instruct you.

https://travel.state.gov/content/tra.../new-york.html

For first-time applicants, how long after you have received your passport, have they sent back your original supporting documents?

A couple of days to a week at most.

I posted my details a few posts above. So I"m back in NYC right now. I am planning to be here for around 2 weeks or so or a tiny bit more at the most. It's now almost the weekend. So my only option should be to book an urgent appointment right? I did not even take any passport photo yet. So if even if I do that tomorrow and say I send it in expedited via USPS postal office, I would get it back in 2 weeks most likely or at the best 10 days?


I read a post a while back in this thread from someone who is from NYC and they posted below. I have to assume this was regular and not expedited since they didn't mention expedited? That seems very fast? The thing if you do it online, how exactly did this person send their new passport photo? Did they upload it after taking a picture of it from their phone? They had to take a photo of themselves as a passport photo place right? Then they took a photo of if with their phone? Is that how it works? I read online you could take a photo of yourself with your iPhone and do it but it is risky right because if they don't accept the picture, now you risk it taking even longer as they would reject it? So never do it on your phone right and always do it at a passport photo place? If your photo gets rejected, how many days would they let you know where you have to do it again? So if taking own photo with iphone, you could get rejected multiples times right if photo isn't accepted? I got to assume you won't be paying an additional fee each time you get rejected and resubmit again right? Their post below.


I just did my renewal online.

Submitted online 12/6/24
Payment marked "received" 12/9/24
Passport delivered 12/16/24



If I do expedited and use USPS for this, it would be very close to when I am leaving right? The thing is I did not book my ticket yet but will do so very soon. The other thing is after I book my ticket, I might change it a few days later though or maybe soon as I could make changes without any fees. So it's March 21 right now. Say I want to book a flight for April 5 so 2 weeks from now. I have to wait till tomorrow March 22 to book an early appointment right since departure has to be 14 days or less? Or can I do this now? Say I book the urgent appointment tomorrow. Does anyone know what appointment schedules will they most likely show up for me? I believe they will give you several day and time slots to choose from right? Does anyone know if it would be possible the earliest day might be early next week or is that very unlikely? I heard they make preference to people who have flights very soon like a few days. The other thing is always choose an early time slot right because that way you get it back same day in the afternoon as oppose to having to come back few days later or them shipping it to you? Is this true? So make sure your appointment is no later than what time? Like 8:30am?


The thing is could I go on the website and just make up some dates to play around with it just to see what is available or the website doesn't allow you to do this? Like say I enter my flight departure to be say March 27 just to check what the appointment date and time available would be. I can do that right just to check it out? The other thing I want to ask is this. I don't recall where I read this posted by someone but that person said doing this would be unethical. That person said you could actually book an earlier flight than you expect to leave on. So say you will leave on April 5 but say you book a flight for March 27. Well that way you could book an urgent appointment earlier since it's less than 14 days. The thing would be it gives you more priority so your urgent appointment could be much sooner than normal. Does anyone know if that is true or not? This person is obviously implying that after you do this and then get your passport, you can then change your flight date to a later date. The thing is would you have trouble doing this though? The thing is many people change flight dates due to their plans so someone doing an urgent passport and booking a correct departure date of when they will fly out and then get their passport... well they might have something where they have to change their flight or cancel their flight. I am going to book my flight for the day I'm leaving on so I will have to wait till tomorrow I believe to book an urgent appointment but does what that person suggested work though?

jerry90210 , you should buy your ticket back to CUN, and then request an emergency appointment at the passport office. Applying by mail is just too risky at this point.

If you can pay your passport fees with a credit card, use your new JetBlue Plus card to help meet your minimum-spend requirement for the sign-up bonus. Also use your card to pay for your passport photos, your transportation to and from the passport office, etc.

Good luck!

Edited to add:

The information you need for the New York Passport Agency can be found here. Note that you will now have to print and complete the application form before you arrive at the office.

https://travel.state.gov/content/tra.../new-york.html

Yea that is what I'm planning to do. Buy the ticket online and then request an urgent appointment. The only way to do this is online right? Do you know if I could call the office and ask them questions or they don't allow that?

Yes applying by mail by expedited seems like it would come close. However, someone a while back said they got It in 10 days... I'm not even sure if they did regular or expedited.

The thing is on the site, it says you can only request an urgent appointment if your flight is less than 14 days. I want to know from others who done this.. say they did this 13 days before their flight departure, how soon they was able to get an appointment? And the thing is do you get the passport the same day you go there as long as your appointment is early? The office seems to be open from 7:30am to 4pm. So does that mean if you book an appointment before a certain time, then you would get the passport the same day? Thus say if you book an appointment for 8:30am? But if you book an appointment at say 11am, then you will have to come back the next day or following day or they mail it to your address? That is information I want to know because I want to get It the same day. The other thing is if they mail it to you, I read somewhere it costs another $21 or so? So when you urgent appointment, it's the same cost as expedited where you don't go to the office right? Thus it's $130 = $60 =$190? But it cost an extra $21 if they mail it to you?

The other thing I want to know is how do they confirm your flight? It's by you printing out the ticket or you showing it on their phone? Or it has to be a printout?

I like to know from people who did this in NYC. Do people who have a flight in a few days always get closer appointment dates and times than someone that tries to book an urgent appointment 13 days away? I obviously would like to go there as soon as possible.

jerry90210 , some (not all) of your questions are answered in the link I provided.

Just book your flight for when you want to travel, and then schedule an appointment not more than 14 days before your ticketed departure date. The fees will be what they will be, and you'll either get your new passport the same day, or you'll have to return on a subsequent day. You have no choice now about how to proceed if you want to be assured of getting your new passport in time for your trip. You don't need to get your passport as soon as possible; you just need to get it in time for your trip. That's the service provided when you visit the passport agency in person.

Well I want to know what the fees will be total. Like is it going to be $190 total or it might be a bit more.

I want to know if getting an earlier appointment in the day would mean I would get the passport the same day or increase the chance of getting it the same day. If so, then I would obviously do it that way. I do not want to go there another subsequent day to pick it up if I could pick it up the same day. Like if you have an 8:30am appointment, does that mean you can pick up your passport in the afternoon. I would like to know from others who have done an urgent appointment what time was their appointment and when did they get their passport. Like if a few people say their appointment was at 8:30am or 9am and went to pick it up later at 3pm the same day... then that would most likely mean getting an earlier appointment would mean that. Now if you have an appointment at say 2pm, obviously you aren't going to get it the same day.

Well I would prefer to get my passport as soon as possible. I don't want to go pick it up say the day before I'm going to depart. So I'm looking for people who had experience with this recently especially in NYC. I do recall when I got my passport renewed over 10 years ago, I am pretty certain I did an urgent appointment and had to wait outside in a line very early in the morning. I remember giving them the application and I am pretty close to certain I picked the passport up the same day in the afternoon but I'm not 100% sure. I recall paying the expedited fee as well.. I want to know from people who did this recently.

1. Have you bothered to read the link that has now been provided to you twice?
2. 10 years ago you needed an appointment in your situation. If it were immediate "life and death" you could register it, and go and wait outside. You have not been able to just randomly show up and wait outside since about 2002 IIRC.
3. Mail has NEVER EVER been an absolute trustable option if you are on an urgent timeline whether applying for a Mickey Mouse Club Card or a passport.
4. You seem to want super quick service and save money, no you are going to be paying the max for such service, it was like that 10, 20 and 30 years ago.
5. They may check your ticket, they may not. You don't know, so do not be tempted to do something illegal - Supplying false or doctored documents to a Federal official is in fact a FEDERAL CRIME.
6. They may do it the same day, they may tell you to come back tomorrow, has to do really with how soon your trip as, has busy they are, etc.
7. There is no online option for you, and other than digital printing is the EXACT same as it was 10, 20, 30 and 40 years ago (the only difference being that somewhere between 30-40 years ago B&W pictures were no longer allowed). Just walk into literally any one of the literally HUNDREDS of Pharmacies and other places that do Passport Photos, spend $10-20and get them done. You are way too concerned about this, just google "cheapest passport photos near xxxx" and you'll get an answer. Personally as long as they are in the $10-12 range I'd just go for the closer place, because you will spend the difference traipsing around NY trying to save a couple of bucks. Obviously dont do it at the places close to the Passport office if you are trying to save money!