Will US embassies and consulates still add passport pages while you wait?
#16
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: NY by birth, BNA by choice - soon YXE, the SKY by virtue.
Posts: 2,420
For those of you who have had it done, is your experience that the new pages are all the Patriotic design? Thanks to very frequent travel to Canada (by air), the majority of my passport is taken up by Canadian stamps, so I will be having pages added in Dublin on Tuesday. I just want to know to set myself up for disappointment if they are the "newer" (ie, uglier) style.
#17
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New York, NY (USA)
Programs: hardly any
Posts: 851
Yes, additional pages are in the new style.
Yes, that was my experience two summers ago in Singapore.
For those of you who have had it done, is your experience that the new pages are all the Patriotic design? Thanks to very frequent travel to Canada (by air), the majority of my passport is taken up by Canadian stamps, so I will be having pages added in Dublin on Tuesday. I just want to know to set myself up for disappointment if they are the "newer" (ie, uglier) style.
#18
Join Date: Mar 2006
Programs: UA Lifetime Gold, Marriott Rewards Platinum, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 1,385
Did this in MAD last fall. You are supposed to request an appointment on line (don't know what would happen if you just show up). The only confusing element as I remember is that there is no box to tick for "Add extra pages to passport." I called the consulate and they said just tick "Get a new passport" box.
#19
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Usually HKG, LAX, or SFO
Programs: Mileage Plus 1.78MM, AAdvantage, Skymiles
Posts: 290
A few months back, I was in Hong Kong and needed extra pages. So I went to the US Consulate's website and made an appointment.
I showed up, went through security and surrendered my cell phone to the guards. Went upstairs and checked in. Was seen within 5 minutes of my appointment time. 20 minutes later, I was out the door with my passport, new pages, my cell phone and wondering why the US Gov't isn't this efficient back home. ^
I showed up, went through security and surrendered my cell phone to the guards. Went upstairs and checked in. Was seen within 5 minutes of my appointment time. 20 minutes later, I was out the door with my passport, new pages, my cell phone and wondering why the US Gov't isn't this efficient back home. ^
I have to say, things seemed "slow" at the Consulate today. Last time I came to add pages (28 Feb 2008), it took 54 minutes. Today, however, was not even close to my personal record. That was set on 31 Oct 1997, back when they were not requiring you to fill out the form. That only took 3 minutes.
Yeah, it's amazing. If you didn't know any better, you would have thought you entered the wrong consulate.
The cell phone policy has changed. I did not have to surrender my phone today. The security guard just asked me to make sure mine was turned off when I went in.
Last item: it seems 6 is the limit for sets of additional pages. The woman at the window told me I would have to get a new passport when I finish off today's new pages. Which is rather easy around here. One round trip to Walmart in Shenzhen and your passport gets stamped 4 times.
#21
Moderator, Argentina and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: MIA / EZE
Programs: Lord of Malbec & all Wines Argentine. AA EXP / Marriott Lifetime Silver / Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 35,681
Wirelessly posted (Nokia N97 / Palm TX: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; PalmSource/Palm-D050; Blazer/4.3) 16;320x448)
Yes... the embassy here in EZE has done this for clients of mine.
Yes... the embassy here in EZE has done this for clients of mine.
#22
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Long Beach, CA
Programs: AA PLTPRO, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,559
Gaucho - Do you know if I need to make an appointment or can I just show up? I'll be there in about 3 weeks.
#23
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
Keep in mind that it is no longer a free service. You'll be paying $81 for the luxury.
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/06/143724.htm
I plan to swing by the consulate in Paris or Amsterdam next week to get some new pages for free.
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,347
I stronly sugest that anyone who needs extra pages gets them before the 13th of July. There is no regulation on the number of extra pages youcan have, just a recommendation and quite simply any FSO that claims otherwise is either lazy, a liar or both, please see the below post which is from their Manual whch highlights what the regs and rules are (at least through the 13th of July as I suppose they will change them now).
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,347
#28
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SFO
Posts: 21
I ran into trouble at the embassy in Lisbon today.
My passport is only 18 months old, and I got my first set of additional pages 6 months ago. I've since used 7 of the 24 extra pages, so I thought I would try to get another set before the fee kicks in.
First the guy tried to tell me that my passport was too worn and that I need to get a new passport instead. My passport is by no means pristine, but it is certainly in better shape than many older ones. Eventually he agreed to just add the pages, but then came back five minutes later and said "You still have 17 blank pages. The law says you need to have less than four pages left to put in more." I tried to argue a bit, but he wasn't budging.
I'm debating whether to try again on Monday when I'm back home in London. Anybody have experience in London when you have a relatively large number of pages left?
My passport is only 18 months old, and I got my first set of additional pages 6 months ago. I've since used 7 of the 24 extra pages, so I thought I would try to get another set before the fee kicks in.
First the guy tried to tell me that my passport was too worn and that I need to get a new passport instead. My passport is by no means pristine, but it is certainly in better shape than many older ones. Eventually he agreed to just add the pages, but then came back five minutes later and said "You still have 17 blank pages. The law says you need to have less than four pages left to put in more." I tried to argue a bit, but he wasn't budging.
I'm debating whether to try again on Monday when I'm back home in London. Anybody have experience in London when you have a relatively large number of pages left?
#29
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 90
I ran into trouble at the embassy in Lisbon today.
My passport is only 18 months old, and I got my first set of additional pages 6 months ago. I've since used 7 of the 24 extra pages, so I thought I would try to get another set before the fee kicks in.
First the guy tried to tell me that my passport was too worn and that I need to get a new passport instead. My passport is by no means pristine, but it is certainly in better shape than many older ones. Eventually he agreed to just add the pages, but then came back five minutes later and said "You still have 17 blank pages. The law says you need to have less than four pages left to put in more." I tried to argue a bit, but he wasn't budging.
I'm debating whether to try again on Monday when I'm back home in London. Anybody have experience in London when you have a relatively large number of pages left?
My passport is only 18 months old, and I got my first set of additional pages 6 months ago. I've since used 7 of the 24 extra pages, so I thought I would try to get another set before the fee kicks in.
First the guy tried to tell me that my passport was too worn and that I need to get a new passport instead. My passport is by no means pristine, but it is certainly in better shape than many older ones. Eventually he agreed to just add the pages, but then came back five minutes later and said "You still have 17 blank pages. The law says you need to have less than four pages left to put in more." I tried to argue a bit, but he wasn't budging.
I'm debating whether to try again on Monday when I'm back home in London. Anybody have experience in London when you have a relatively large number of pages left?
well.... since you have already booked reservations for 10 trips to 20 different countries, which all require visas for US citizens, you surely need all the extras pages ahead of time. Right? <wink, wink> Just bring a print out of the airline reservations or itinerary for the consular officer. Perhaps after the extra pages are added, you can decide not to visit those countries. The US consulate/embassy isn't going to force you to go to those countries.
#30
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Arlington, VA
Programs: UA 1K, AA PLT, SPG PLT
Posts: 1,612
Anyone have any experience with getting pages added while you wait since the recent fee increase (from $0!!!)?
My wife and I will be leaving soon (one week) for: Tokyo, Hong Kong, Phuket, Hanoi & Seoul and luckily live in Washington, and she needs more pages in her passport...
Any advice on the best place to get pages added? Can it be done fairly quickly in Washington?
-Jeremy
My wife and I will be leaving soon (one week) for: Tokyo, Hong Kong, Phuket, Hanoi & Seoul and luckily live in Washington, and she needs more pages in her passport...
Any advice on the best place to get pages added? Can it be done fairly quickly in Washington?
-Jeremy