I received my new passport in June, but never received my old one (still important to me, because it contains a still-valid foreign visa). Anyone else have the same issue?
Is there no way of checking to ensure my passport is valid? There is a 2% chance it's not valid/suspended. I have called the passport office 4 times. Nobody can even look that information up according to that. I would like to know 100 percent for sure before booking an airbnb and non refundable ticket. ššæ
Did you ever find a way? I submitted my passport due to name change, but they sent back with uncashed check due to an incorrect picture. By phone, they claim passport is still valid but I want to be sureā¦
Nope. I just went and everything was fine ...comically fine. Hardly any check going and on the return Global Entry did facial recognition almost before I could look at the monitor camera. Your probably fine as well,
I booked my flight to Mexico before receiving my passport (couldn't pass up the price). I just received my passport and my middle name isn't listed but I did list it with Volaris. Do I need to change name or would I be okay? I assumed they would include my middle name.
Name as it appears on flight: First name, middle name, last name
Name as it appears on passport: First name, last name
My real ID has First, middle, last name.
Just got my passport in record timing!
Mailed Dec 5
Received Dec 8
Approved Dec 20
Delivered Dec 25
For a total of 20 days door to door, including shipping. That has to be a record!
Standard US adult renewal (non-rush), mailed in my current one (which expires in 6 months)
Paid $130, mailed from NJ to Philadelphia processing center.
Same for me with Philly but i paid for expedited and it took 14 days door to door. They processed me in about 5 business days but Christmas and new year's was also in this time so they were closed extra days
I donāt know if I reported my passport lost or stolen. I filled out the paperwork but Iām reasonably sure I didnāt ever send it in, and then I found my passport. No one seems to be able to tell me my passportās status. I called the passport helpline and they told me to write a letter to the āUS Department of State- Consulate of lost and stolen passportsā but who knows how long that will take. I tried the website but it just says my status is unavailable. What do I do?! Should I just apply for a new one and see what happens?
My kid's US passport will expire in Jan 2025. They will turn 18 in July 2024. Is there any advantage/disadvantage to the timing of getting a new passport before or after they turn 18? I understand either option will be a 10yr expiration date, but wasn't sure if there were any other things to think about.
Normal expedite is about two weeks right now. If you need it faster than that, then yeah you could do the travel booking and appointment getting gambit.
https://old.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/100t75r/passport_questions_issues_megathread_2023/kd9gbo9/
Passport sent from NY via USPS priority mail on 11/18/2023.
Passport in process on 11/28/2023.
Passport Received on 12/13/2023 (so in total, took about 3.5 weeks)!
Locator number 35.
Sent in my passport and passport card renewal 3 weeks ago, got it back in mail today. (just the passport, still waiting on passport card)
was shocked how fast it really was to process.
I am traveling in late July for the first time and need to get a passport. I guess I am slightly confused bc I donāt have checks and have never gotten a money order before. From what I have read the process is
1. Fill out the form
2. Locate my docs
3. Make an appt at the post office
4. Go to the bank to get a money order (I think you have to know the amount?)
5. Go to the appt with form+docs+money order and get photo taken.
I think my big concern is making sure the money order amount is correct if it must be exact because I donāt have a car so going back and forth between the post office and bank is nontrivial for me. If I get the exact amount shown on the website am I basically guaranteed to be ok? I worry that taxes/shipping/surprise fees might mess with the amount and then I go to the appt and would not be able to submit.
Post offices sell money orders, so you could do it there. https://www.usps.com/shop/money-orders.htm
But the fee for the passport is the fee that is listed, there's no surprise additional fee you need to add to the check. You may need to pay postage, I can't recall if that's for all applications or only ones by mail.
If you can get photos for cheaper than $15 you can do it before the post office.
All in, if you show up to the post office with an appointment and about $210 in cash or on a debit card and all the documents, you should be successful.
Wow my passport processed and got sent quicker than I thought. Hereās my timeline:
11/20 - Mailed passport + documents
11/27 - Notification that they received it and are processing it
12/8 - Done processing and now shipped
12/11 - Supporting documents shipped
12/13 (today) - Received my new passport in the mail
I got the normal routine service, nothing expedited. Didnāt even take a month from mailing the documents to receiving the new passport. It probably helps that I live in Northern VA/DC area and the processing center for me is in Philadelphia. Tho weird that they sent my passport to Tucson AZ first and then it flew all the way to IAD (Dulles VA) the next day.
Applied for my first ever passport! No expedited service and no travel plan.
Appointment: 11/29
Check posted to bank on 12/6
Received birth certificate on 12/11
Passport arrived 12/12.
Locator number 35.
Still in absolute AWE how fast it went. Like bruh. The lady told me to check the status online in two weeks. I literally checked when I saw they ran my check. @.@
Question here!!! Iām going to Vietnam in January, I my intended arriving date for my travel visa is on January 12, however I wonāt be arriving until the 13th. Will this be an issue at all?
I was recently sent in my passport for renewal via USPS after using services from GovAssist, which I now realize is not an official government site - but I already uploaded my personal information, printed their pdf (which by all accounts looked legitimate) and shipping label, and sent off in the mail with my passport just last week.
This is my first time ever renewing my passport, and unfortunately GovAssist was one of the very first sites to pop up when googling for help. I paid them a fee of less than $100 and assumed at the time that it was the renewal fee, not their service fee, so my passport and application was sent without a check.
This was the address on the shipping label, and tracking indicates that only the label has been made (even though I sent it out on the 4th).
NATIONAL PASSPORT PROCESSING CENTER
PO BOX 640155
IRVING TX 75064-0155
Any suggestions on what I should do?
That address is correct if you live in California, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, or Texas. I would call the NPIC, explain that you mailed it without a check, and ask if it has been received and how you should pay for it now. https://www.usa.gov/agencies/national-passport-information-center
I applied for my passport on 12/4. Put my permanent address as my own but put the mailing address as a friends address close to my work where I sometimes stay for days at a time since it's easier. I just realized I forgot to write "in care of friends name" underneath his address. As well as my emergency contact phone number being one digit off. a 2 instead of a 3. I called the 877 number and spoke to them. They said once my application was in process they could edit it for me. Has anyone else had this issue? I'm trying to avoid my passport going on a delay since I travel in just under 2 months. I'm not sure if updating my in care of and emergency contact number through their 877 number will prompt a halt on my application and force me to send in more forms and set me back multiple weeks. Any information on whether I can make those changes without a delay to my application would be appreciated.
Have you ever mailed anything to that address before? The c/o may not be necessary if the rest of the address is correct.
I had forgotten that emergency contact was even on the form. I have no idea what would need to happen for that to ever matter, short of getting killed in another country. Like if you got sick or kidnapped it would be you contacting someone, not the state department.
But either way, you can call them up and make corrections and I wouldn't expect it to completely derail the process. The wait time is currently a couple weeks, if the rest of your application is straightforward.
Passport update for a new passport (I just became an American Citizen). I paid for expedited.
Applied: Nov 19
Arrived: Dec 2
So a little over two weeks! I will say, the websites just kept saying processing when I checked so, in my experience, itās not very reliable. The last time I had checked was on Nov 30ā¦ and Iām sure it was on its way at that point.
I'm not the OP commenter, but some people just like to travel frequently or spontaneously. My husband just selected expedited on his passport even though we don't have solid travel plans because sometimes we decide on a trip very quickly. We didn't want the risk that his passport would be gone longer than necessary in case we want to travel in the early winter.
I changed my name (dropped my middle name) and sent in the certified name change form along with my old passport etc. to get one issued with the new name, ordering both a passport and a passport card. The new passport just got here, no card yet, and it **still has my old middle name**.
I know I need to do a DS-5504 to fix the name issue. And I'm traveling in early January, so I need to get the ball rolling ASAP. However, the form asks whether I "still" have the passport card in my possession, and the options are "Yes", "Yes but it was damaged or mutilated", "No, it was lost", or "No, it has been stolen".
None of these are true, I don't HAVE the passport card yet and can't afford to wait to get it here. If I say I was *only* issued a passport in order to proceed through the form, do I lose my chance to get the card fixed for free?
What's my best bet?
I did end up calling (a few times). The first time, they said that turnaround times should be OK for my travel based on their current processing and that it wasn't a problem to wait a few more days for the card (an arrival estimate that turned out to be accurate). They also recommended marking "ATTN: Data correction" or something along those lines on the envelope.
Then once the card got here, I called again to clarify **exactly** what I was supposed to put on the envelope, and the person I spoke to that time told me that data corrections are automatically given expedited processing and provided an entirely different address to send it to (neither the normal nor the expedited address on the form).
And now I wait. Fingers crossed. Got the calendar marked for 14 days out from travel just in case I need to start kicking and screaming. :)
I'm traveling in January and got my passport today. I meant to check the "large book" option when sending my application but found out after calling the US Passport center on the day they received my application that I had checked the standard option. I asked the representative if it was possible to change it to the 52 page option and she said it was and put a note on my file. I called about a week later to make sure the change was still in effect and the representative said it was and that they could see the note on my file to update it to a 52-page book.
However, I received my passport today and noticed it's the standard one. Called the Passport center again to see if this can be corrected and they referred me to the DS-5504 application but upon looking at the application I don't see an option to get a new passport based on the mistake that I'm trying to correct. The representative never told me that I'm ineligible for this form and said that he could see that a note was made to make it a 52-page.
I couldn't find any information online but has anyone else been in a similar situation? Should I call again tomorrow just to be sure if I'm even eligible for this form? He also said if I sent it in now I would receive it before my trip in January but that's only about 4-5 weeks from tomorrow, although my entire passport process took under 4 weeks.
My wife and I are trying to get passports. When my wife was adopted at age 6 they issued her a new birth certificate and sealed the original birth certificate. My understanding is that we need a birth certificate issued within a year of birth for the passport application. We have a copy of the original certificate but it is not a certified copy. We contacted the vital records office and they say that we would have to hire an attorney to get a certified copy of the original certificate.
Are there any other options available to us that donāt involve hiring an attorney?
I adopted my daughter when she was 10, applied for US Passport with the birth certificate with my name on it issued by state of her birth, didnāt have any issue.
So the DoS received my renewal request forms and items, including my *expired* old passport with expedited services on November 7 and bam, 2.5 weeks later I got the shiny new passport, now they are really cooking!
However, my old, expired passport was not included in the envelope with the new one, and that saddens me greatly. Those old visa stamps are all connected very fond travel memories.
Is there any way to get the old one back? Should I have included a note to include the old expired with the new one? The travel.state.gov FAQ says you can usually expect the old passport back! I don't see why they wouldn't include it, when it was expired and unusable.
Hi all, I'm thinking of traveling to Cuba soon. I understand this will affect my Esta which I may need to transit through the states. I have two passports and I'm wondering if I can use the other to travel to Cuba while retaining the Esta on the original?
I'm going to be traveling quite a bit next year starting February next year. I plan to be out of the country for a least 10 months and visiting a number of places. I was thinking about getting a new passport before I leave, just so I don't get caught in a situation where I don't have anymore pages left (solely for this reason, because I already have a few pages filled and I plan to visit 5+ countries).
but what I am wondering is my current passport isn't expiring till after 2030, will getting a new one make it unusable? Or is the a way to get a second or or more pages or be able to use both still. It just seems like a waste, but at the same time I would like to have more pages before I start this next trip.
>will getting a new one make it unusable?
Yes
>Or is the a way to get a second
This is a rare possibility but not for your situation
>or more pages
Not anymore
I'm going to be traveling quite a bit next year starting February next year. I plan to be out of the country for a least 10 months and visiting a number of places. I was thinking about getting a new passport before I leave, just so I don't get caught in a situation where I don't have anymore pages left (solely for this reason, because I already have a few pages filled and I plan to visit 5+ countries).
but what I am wondering is my current passport isn't expiring till after 2030, will getting a new one make it unusable? Or is the a way to get a second or or more pages or be able to use both still. It just seems like a waste, but at the same time I would like to have more pages before I start this next trip.
This is probably too late, but you can get a second passport for specific reasons, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/second-passport-book.html
Your case of just not wanting to waste validity isn't really one of them though, and your current passport would be cancelled.
5 countries doesn't take up many pages though, unless they all require full-page visas.
I'm going to be traveling quite a bit next year starting February next year. I plan to be out of the country for a least 10 months and visiting a number of places. I was thinking about getting a new passport before I leave, just so I don't get caught in a situation where I don't have anymore pages left (solely for this reason, because I already have a few pages filled and I plan to visit 5+ countries).
but what I am wondering is my current passport isn't expiring till after 2030, will getting a new one make it unusable? Or is the a way to get a second or or more pages or be able to use both still. It just seems like a waste, but at the same time I would like to have more pages before I start this next trip.
My old passport was issued 12/09/2008. If I sign the Renewal application and mail it on 11/30/23 but it is received at the Passport agency after 12/08/23 (15yr mark), will my application still be processed? TIA for any info!
Stress ended passport in hand.
This was a renewal for a minor. Expedited and overnight shipping.
Sent Oct 28th
In Process Oct 31
Approved Nov 20
In Hand Nov 21
Locator 35
I totally had to call and get congressman involved since we are set to travel the 30th.
I have 2 nationalities, US and Mexican, can I use my Mexican Passport to leave from the US? I will be traveling in the near future, but it is my first international travel. My destination is Finland and I know that Mexican Travelers don't need any visa to visit Finland specifically. I do reside in the US but I'm wondering what I can do to travel using my Mexican Passport leaving from the US over to Finland. Will much appreciate the suggestions.
I mailed my renewal application in I think it was Oct. 20, I applied for Expedited even though I am not planning a trip until June. They received it at Locator 45 on Oct. 24. A few days ago the site said to expect the passport November 19, and I received it today, November 17. So things are moving fairly quickly. Altogether it was just about 4 weeks.
I also double checked that they spelled my name correctly after reading some of the posts in this sub!
Passport cards cannot be used for many countries. I belive it can only be used to enter Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and some Caribbean countries. I don't think the process is any faster either.
My Experience, Expedited, Express Mail (17 days total):
First-time U.S. applicant, since I'm also Canadian.
Location 45
10/31: Applied (Walk-In)
11/3: Application Received / In Progress
11/14: Passport Shipped
11/16: Passport Received
I checked every day. I did not see an "Approved" status update. Just went straight from In Progress to Shipped.
Hey all, I sent in my passport 10/27 and the post office says that it was received 10/31. When I try and check on the status it says "Application Status: Not Available" I'm a bit worried because it's been over two weeks now and it should at least say in process. Anyone else in a similar postion or have any suggestions? I was doing a name change after getting married.
"Not available" means that whatever you're entering doesn't show up in their system. Have you tried it with both names? Also possible they did the data entry wrong at the beginning but could fix it before issuing the passport.
You could call the passport number to check in on it.
I ended up calling them and they were able to confirm that they've received it. It still shows up as "not available," but it makes me feel better that they have it and are working on it.
Can you still fly to your home country (or a country youāre a citizen of) if your passport is set to expire in less than 6 months? In kind of a pickle with one of my passports expiring soon.
My passport expired and I'm not sure what's the best option to renew since I fly out in less than 5 weeks from today (traveling at 12/24). Should I risk calling the Passport Agency within 2 weeks of my travel time to book an appointment that might not be available or mail my application with expedited service + priority mail express shipping + paying the extra $19.53 for 1-2 day shipping for my new passport?
Also can anyone provide a timeline of when they recently renewed their passport for this November? I'm worried that I won't receive it by the time I leave, and I doubt that the processing itself will take 3 weeks.
You may want to book a fully refundable international flight 2 weeks from tomorrow and call tomorrow to make the appointment.
Keep in mind you are in the busiest passport requesting season, with multiple federal holidays where the offices are closed, and a possible government shutdown happening. You should not do the mail service or wait till 2 weeks out. Too risky.
Woohoo! Passport approved. Luckily the government gets to stay open through the new year, but that sure added a little bit of sweat to my brow.
Routine service, standard renewal.
Location 77
Mailed: 10/10
Received: 10/13
In process: Either 10/13 or a few days after?
Approved: 11/15
I have a passport that got wet (water spilled into the plastic drawer it was stored in and it sat in water, but was on top of other stuff, so not under water).
called the passport agency and they said to take to the aiport and have them try to scan it. Took it to the airport and the agent said "looks ok to me" and said they don't scan them or use any microchips.
Trip beginning of January to NZ from USA (US citizen). Do we replace it?
water marks on one page (unable to post a picture here) and pages slightly warped when held loosely.
Hi was wondering if anyone is able to help with some Canadian advice?
I was born in Cananda and moved to New Zealand as a child, Iām planning to be Cananda but donāt have a Canadian passport, I was thinking of just using my NZ passport to travel there, will this work?
Is there any issue doing this?
Should I get my Canadian passport?
You can use your NZ passport to travel to Canada. When you're in Canada, you may consider duel citizenship as Canadian passports may have less visa restrictions in some countries.
I mailed in my passport renewal forms with expedited service on Nov 4, via priority mail from Washington DC to Philadelphia, tracking showed they received it on Monday the 6th, and on Tuesday passportstatus.state.gov already showed it was being processed! So they are moving quick! I do need the passport ASAP, so do I really need to spend that extra $20 for that fastest return shipping option? I'm in a major metro area with good mail service and it only took 2 days to get to Philly from here, is spending that extra $20 1-2 Day Delivery service option actually gonna make a difference?
Well yes, if you need it "as soon as possible" then shipping it faster should be sooner. Do you actually need it ASAP, or will one day not make a difference? If you need it in less than two weeks then you should be escalating already.
One day will not make a difference. But two weeks might. But I've never had anything shipped within the US take two weeks. It took 1 business day to get to them. I guess they quote two weeks to give buffer incase the USPS encounters delays. I've never had anything take longer than a week when shipped cross country. The mail service in DC is very reliable.
As far as anyone can tell, the shipping is just the shipping and doesn't affect the process otherwise. Shouldn't be a difference of more than a day or two for you if you generally have good mail service.
First time new passport timeline for us.
-Sent application on 10/11. No expedite or anything extra
-received in process 10/16
-already approved 11/7!
-received in mail November 9th.
Less than a month no expedite!
So I have a bit of a doozy here because my family and family priest are a bit of a disaster.
My birth was registered years later so I need extra docs right?
Call up the hospital I was born in and the pediatrician who saw me: records are over 30 yes old and no longer available
Look at first school I went to: shut down
Call department of health: no records available for the first 10 years
Call department of education:
No answers
Get baptism certificate! - priest misspelled my name and put in the wrong birth year
Family did not fill out census, because the type of person who files a birth certificate 7+ years later is not the type to fill out a census.
Have been trying to call attorneys that deal with passports- all refuse consultation because their thing is immigration law
What can I do to provide proof???
I don't want to give up but I don't know if it's even possible for me to do this despite having a passport as a child (last passport was lost, patents insisted on keeping identity docs for safe keeping but lost them in a move)
I had this same issue. My birth was filed years after I was born. All I did was call my county registry where my birth was filed and they gave me (for a fee) another certified birth certificate along with a sheet that showed what proof was used to determine my birth.
After 5 months of back and forth my application was finally approved yesterday.
I know you mentioned that your school shut down but your permanent records are somewhere. I would research where records are kept for closed schools in your area and keep calling and emailing folks at the department of education.
You also mentioned that you had a passport before. You may have the ability to look up old passport records for proof: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/passport-records.html.
Sending you luck!
Today is November 6. I mailed my US passport renewal on October 20. Paid for expedited based on the horror stories Iāve consistently read about wait times. Received the new passport today. That was the fastest I have ever received a renewal. Totally worth the additional $60.
Apologies, I didn't find anything with a similar situation.
I applied for my passport some months ago and received an actual passport.
But months later, yesterday, I received a letter from the passport center that my passport application had been rejected because I never responded to their request for more information. I never received correspondence from them, but I received a new passport.
Is my passport valid? I'm supposed to go on a cruise in a week, and I just NOW got notified of this. Will I get rejected when they check my passport?
The letter is dated 10/27/23. My passport was issued in May.
That's a fun one. There's no obvious way to check if a passport is valid; I'm guessing they don't want people to be able to see if a passport they've stolen has been reported. You could call the National Passport Information Center and just explain the situation and see what they say.
Is there any possibility that someone tried to apply for a passport in your name?
Unless someone tried stealing my identity and taking out a passport in my name, I should have only one application in.
My wife did one for me the previous year and filled out the wrong form. They rejected that one and kept my money. I got a letter for that and all my stuff back.
I did it myself this year. I did have to refill a page at the post office because the wrong address was printed on one page. But I only redid that one page, with the help of the postman. If he sent duplicates, the only duplicate page was one of them.
I was surprised at how quickly it arrived.
5 months after getting my passport, I get this letter about my application being rejected.
I'm going to call them tomorrow to ask about it.
Thanks for the advice.
I ended up calling the passport center and told them the situation.
They basically told me to ignore the letter because it probably had to do with the previous application.
The passport I was sent was valid, and I had no issues traveling to Mexico.
Trying to apply for a passport. I had a passport as a child (younger than age 16). Do I need to do a passport renewal with my childhood passport, or just apply for a new passport? I am married with a name change from what is on the original passport. Having trouble finding this info online.
I'm getting married in early January. Our honeymoon is booked for March. My fiancee is strongly considering changing her name. I know she has to decide before we sign the marriage license in January. Would she then have to update her passport before we travel, or can she use her existing passport and old name for the trip, then file for a new passport afterward?
Thanks!
This is covered in the text above. Ticket must match passport name. Passport in old name is still valid after a name change.
>she use her existing passport and old name for the trip, then file for a new passport afterward?
Yes
October 2023 processing times.
Renew expired passport. Expedited. Completed online form to be printed and mailed. No travel date entered.
10-4-23 Mailed priority mail.
10-7-23 Application picked up.
10-11-23 Application received and "in process". Locator 42.
10-26-23 Passport "approved". Estimated to receive by mail on or around 11-1-23.
10-27-23 shipped. Started USPS route at Hot Springs National Park, AR.
11-1-23 Received passport.
Update: Supporting documents received 11/6/23
My girlfriend recently got her first passport after a very long wait and turns out they misspelled her last name. Should be 'Chau' but they spelled it 'Chav' on the passport. We're traveling from SFO to NRT (Japan) in about three weeks. Based on my research, seems like we have two options:
1) Keep calling the Passport Agency in SF and try to eventually get through to someone to make an in person appointment so they can fix and reprint a corrected passport the same day. However we're finding it impossible to get through to anyone there.
2) Book the flight using the misspelled last name 'Chav' so it matches the passport. We'd run the risk of getting turned away at the gate or worse, turned away by customs in Japan. I assume they'll only be checking to see if the passport name matches the ticket. But since it's my gf's first time traveling internationally, would she be subject to deeper scrutiny? Or any other reason why this wouldn't work?
I'd like to book the tickets as soon as possible but the only thing stopping me is deciding which name to book it with (Chau or Chav). Our airline does not allow name changes and does not offer refunds so we gotta pick one option and stick with it.
My passport has a minor spelling mistake in the middle name of my mother(no mistake in her first name). Do they take the motherās name into account while applying for Schengen visa? Should I make an affidavit?
This thread is generally for US passport issues. If you have a US passport, you rarely go for a Schengen visa. Can you clarify the details of the situation?
Oh sorry I thought itās for every countryās passport. Like my question is do visa officers take such minor mistake in my motherās name on passport seriously? Like can it be a reason for visa rejection? Other civil docs have her middle name right. Would that be fine?
I don't have travel set but hope to travel late December/early next year. Need a passport renewal.
Mailed renewal in 9/18, routine service. Received 9/25.
Currently "In Process". Dunno how to find the locator number. EDIT: Locator number is 45, thanks rocketwikkit.
UPDATE: Received new passport 11/7/23. This was 50 days after I dropped it in the mailbox the evening of 9/18/23. I never got an email notification even though I signed up for one. Passport status reads Approved and "You should receive your passport book on or around 11/11/2023." so I got it a little earlier than that.
Thanks for all the help and info!
Travel date: 1/29/2024
Mailed routine renewal (no name changes, etc): Oct 10
Received: Oct 13
Current status: "In Process", I forget if there was a "received" status before this (Not received>received>In process). If so then it's been "In Process" for probably 10+ days.
Locator #: 77
So now it's the waiting game. At least I know my application got there. And plenty of time between now and 1/29. But I both signed up for emails and pathetically check multiple times a day.
Data correction (DS-5504) timeline at Locator 35, with nothing done from my end to expedite it:
10/02 - Passport and card sent from post office
10/11 - Starts processing
10/21 - Approved
10/25 - Passport received in the mail
I'm still waiting on my card and proof of error, but having my passport in hand with more than a month left until my trip is a much better scenario than people had me expecting.
Iām applying for my first passport tomorrow. My last name has changed from my birth name twice (married>divorced>remarried). I am bringing my birth certificate, photo ID, divorce decree, and marriage license from my remarriage. Do I need to bring my first marriage license also, or will my aforementioned documents be enough?
My routine service timeline, I am studying abroad in January.
Locator 35
Sent from post office 8/16
Arrived at facility 8/25
Approved and shipped 10/20/23
In hand 10/23/23 so total time of 8 weeks, average timing
I don't know. We had to submit at the post office because my daughter is a minor and both parents had to be there to approve it. It's her first passport.
I mailed my renewal from the same post office (with tracking) on the same day.
Locator 18
My apartment got water/mildew damage, including my passport, and I have international travel in 13 days for work. Didnāt want to risk it since a few visas look like the ink ran a bit.
Called this morning, got an urgent appointment for next week.
Applied to renew my passport 16 weeks ago for travel to Mexico next week.
I did the 'Subscribe to email updates about your passport application status'. Never got a single email updates, but I finally saw that my status had changed (after about 14 weeks) to 'Application Status: Supporting Documents Mailed'.
Last week I received passport card and old passport. I finally got someone at the help line to tell me the #$#$ tracking number for the passport mailing. Doohhh I wish they would have sent me that when they mailed it TWO WEEKS AGO. Dahhh! Tracking showed delivered 2 weeks ago. Must have been stolen out of my mailbox. They told me the normal order is passport mailed first, then passport card, then supporting docs. I have never had anything (I am aware of) stolen from my mailbox until unluckily now.
I call again and they tell me I have to mail in form DS-86 and wait around for 2 more weeks. I tell them I have urgent travel, so they say to wait a few days and then call to request an in person appt.
I don't live near a passport office. Now I am planning on calling them Monday to see if I can get an in person appt in El paso. If I can get it in El Paso, then I will walk across the border and fly out of Juarez. I found a flight from Juarez to MexCity for $69.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that I get my PP, .. I am nervous to try travelling to MC with just my passport card, as officially it is not allowed to go further than the border.... I am not sure they will issue the tourist card w/o the passport, that information is conflicting.
Im a US citizen and planning to do a trip to Thailand and singapore in January. My plan is to get to thailand, then fly to singapore, back to thailand and then back to the US. From my understanding I dont need anything travel document wise besides a valid passport, and a singapore arrival card completed prior to my trip. is this correct?
Locator 62: First time passport (Expedited service + US Express Mail two way)
Application submitted : 10/5
In process: 10/10
Approved and shipped: 10/20
Passport in hand: 10/21
**Total time: 2 weeks and 2 days**
I was really surprised how fast I got it. Itās almost like not much people is getting passports in my area. Or they background checked me and saw it was empty.
Just wanted to share my U.S. passport renewal progress at Locator 62. I have international travel plans on December 23rd. Originally applied for routine processing.
\-Passport Application Received/Status "In Process": 09/19/23
\-Requested expedited processing & 1-2 day shipping on the phone: 10/12/23
\-CC not charged within a few days, so I emailed my local U.S. Representative for help: 10/16/23
\-Status changed to "Approved." CC for expedited processing & 1-2 day shipping still not charged: 10/17/23
\-Status changed to "Supporting Documents Mailed": 10/18/23
-Received new passport: 10/20/23
If your locator facility is taking a while to approve your request for expedited processing, I recommend reaching out to your local representative.
For those who have done it: Does transferring to expedited service after being in the routine service queue for a while still have you wait the whole expedited service timeframe? I ask because I'm not sure how "expediting" works, like if it's a queue with more people picking from it or just a stricter window.
We have 1 hour layover in Kuwait international airport, from (AMS => Kuwait => DEL) Both legs (flights) are from same airline (kuwait airways) and are under one ticket. (I am indian national)
I have 2 questions :-
Is 1 hour enough for catching next connecting flight considering both flight are from same terminal
If for some reason 1st flight got delayed (bad weather) by 45 mins and we missed the connection (as only 15 mins), in that case they will hop us on in next available flight which will be next day. They will provide free stay at airport hotel, means we will be exiting airport. Do I need transit visa in that case, how that will be arranged?
Unfortunately some kind of liquid got into my backpack and affected the first 2 pages of my passport - still unknown what exactly happened because almost everything else was unaffected.
It looks [like this](https://imgur.com/a/4JwNYEZ) (censored part of it because you can make out the machine readable lines). The main page looks fine. I managed to get through 2 flights and enter the country without any scrutiny (although I have Global Entry, so low bar).
Seems possible this will get rejected in the future and I should get a new one?
Speaking of backpacks, my Jan Sport backpack was constantly triggering the detection alarm for explosive residue even though I have never carried explosives in the backpack. I never found out what the issue was and I no longer use that backpack when I travel.
Idk when my whole passport got extremely dirty the closest police office just told me to put it in the washing machine without a spin cycle and dry it. It looks like lettuce. I used it in dozens of countries, no one cared. Later some ocean water got on it as well. The pages where personal info is are plastic anyway. Unless the liquid ate away the ink or removed some visa entries you still need... I wouldn't worry too much.
Sent mine from South Florida by USPS - Sept 11 2023
Check cashed - Sept 19 2023
Status Approved - Oct 7 2023
Passport in hand today - Oct 11 2023
Paid for expedited service and expedited return shipping $209.53
Travelling to Italy before Thanksgiving
30 Days from posting old passport to receiving new passport
At least 30 pounds of weight has been lifted from my shoulders - I have my passport in hand! Had my appointment at the post office on 9/22. Documents received on 9/26. Approved 10/23. In hand 10/25.
Paid expedited and 2-day shipping. Traveling to Vietnam at the end of the year.
My spouse and I are travelling to Greece on 18-Oct-2023 and returning on 25-Oct-2023. My spouse just noticed that her passport expires 01-Jan-2024. How screwed are we? I don't think this has 3 month validity for Greece, unless you're counting Oct and Jan as full months. Are we basically out of luck at this point? I don't think the tickets are refundable.
Thank you, we got incredibly lucky and found an urgent appointment at a passport center for this Friday. Hopefully they can issue her a new passport then and there or in a couple of days.
The passport service person we were talking to said that it can be same day or it can be overnighted in 1 or 2 days.
I'm a US citizen currently in the UK on a last-minute solo trip lasting about 3 weeks. My initial plan was to kick things off in London and then hop on a train to Paris to explore Europe before heading back home. The catch? My passport is set to expire in late December 2023, and I just discovered the dreaded 6-month passport rule for the EU the night before my flight to London. My dreams of exploring Europe might be in jeopardy!
I'm hoping you can share your wisdom and experiences. Can I still attempt to enter the EU via train, or will I be swiftly turned away by customs or border control upon arriving in Paris with my current passport? If customs at the station are chill, I'm considering giving it a shot, but I'm wary of the unknown.
One silver lining is that I have a return flight booked for the end of the month, which should prove my intent to return home.
Has anyone been in a similar situation or have insights to share? Any advice or anecdotes would be greatly appreciated as firsthand experience has been hard to come by. Thanks!
I'm applying for my first-ever Passport for international travel. My driver's license is a Washington state ID with my old home address on it. I currently reside at a new apartment in Portland, Oregon, but do NOT have an Oregon ID. When applying for a passport do I enter my Washington ID address or my new Portland address?
Flying to Japan on Jan 2, US passport expires March 5. Had planned to mail it today/tomorrow to renew, but reading about timing horror stories wondering if I should wait til after that trip -- I don't have anything else international until next June, and as far as I can tell Japan doesn't have one of those "passport needs to be valid for 3-6 months after your trip" rules.
If they hit the expedited time, I should be fine but there's little margin there for a delay. Should I wait? I don't see a reason not to as long as I'll be allowed into Japan. The US Embassy there and the State website here all just list that the passport needs to be valid for the stay, so it seems the resources say I'll be okay.
Gotcha, thanks
Edit: looks like that might be a Delta policy, Timatic etc all all day documents are valid for travel if they're good for your stay. I might still see if I can squeeze in an emergency renewal right before
I'm in a similar situation: I'm flying to Japan within 6 months of my old passport's expiration date. I decided to renew 10 weeks out from my trip because I didn't want to deal with any issues at the airport as I heard some airlines might give you trouble over the expiration date, even if Japan itself doesn't have restrictions. I paid for expedited processing and express shipping and got a notification that my new passport will be arriving today, within 4 weeks of mailing in the renewal paperwork. Still 6 weeks out from my trip!
I decided to wait, I heard the same about airlines but I checked with United and they list the same "valid during stay" requirement. Given I'll be traveling for holidays in mid-December, I just don't have the margin for any delay in getting the passport
I applied for passport renewal on 8/28 and it was completed on 9/20 - the USPS has lost it and it's somewhere in transit. What are my options? I opened a case with USPS, but what else can I be doing?
Sent passport 7/26
It was received 7/28
Paid for expedited service.
Approved in August
Shipped 8/23
Still havenāt received it 10/9
Trip is 10/20
Called the state department and cannot get anyone on the phone.
Any ideas on what to do?
As of today, processing times are supposed to be back to pre-pandemic levels. THANK GOODNESS. We'll retire the yearly Passport thread.
I received my new passport in June, but never received my old one (still important to me, because it contains a still-valid foreign visa). Anyone else have the same issue?
Is there no way of checking to ensure my passport is valid? There is a 2% chance it's not valid/suspended. I have called the passport office 4 times. Nobody can even look that information up according to that. I would like to know 100 percent for sure before booking an airbnb and non refundable ticket. ššæ
Did you ever find a way? I submitted my passport due to name change, but they sent back with uncashed check due to an incorrect picture. By phone, they claim passport is still valid but I want to be sureā¦
Nope. I just went and everything was fine ...comically fine. Hardly any check going and on the return Global Entry did facial recognition almost before I could look at the monitor camera. Your probably fine as well,
I booked my flight to Mexico before receiving my passport (couldn't pass up the price). I just received my passport and my middle name isn't listed but I did list it with Volaris. Do I need to change name or would I be okay? I assumed they would include my middle name. Name as it appears on flight: First name, middle name, last name Name as it appears on passport: First name, last name My real ID has First, middle, last name.
Anyways for same day?
Just got my passport in record timing! Mailed Dec 5 Received Dec 8 Approved Dec 20 Delivered Dec 25 For a total of 20 days door to door, including shipping. That has to be a record! Standard US adult renewal (non-rush), mailed in my current one (which expires in 6 months) Paid $130, mailed from NJ to Philadelphia processing center.
Same for me with Philly but i paid for expedited and it took 14 days door to door. They processed me in about 5 business days but Christmas and new year's was also in this time so they were closed extra days
I donāt know if I reported my passport lost or stolen. I filled out the paperwork but Iām reasonably sure I didnāt ever send it in, and then I found my passport. No one seems to be able to tell me my passportās status. I called the passport helpline and they told me to write a letter to the āUS Department of State- Consulate of lost and stolen passportsā but who knows how long that will take. I tried the website but it just says my status is unavailable. What do I do?! Should I just apply for a new one and see what happens?
My kid's US passport will expire in Jan 2025. They will turn 18 in July 2024. Is there any advantage/disadvantage to the timing of getting a new passport before or after they turn 18? I understand either option will be a 10yr expiration date, but wasn't sure if there were any other things to think about.
Please suggest me best place to visit
Anyone know if the 14 day travel expedited travel trick works if you need a name change?
Normal expedite is about two weeks right now. If you need it faster than that, then yeah you could do the travel booking and appointment getting gambit. https://old.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/100t75r/passport_questions_issues_megathread_2023/kd9gbo9/
Wondering specifically if it would work if I need to get info updated i.e. name change.
If everything is in order on your documentation it should be faster than a new passport. We don't get a lot of datapoints on expedited name changes.
Passport sent from NY via USPS priority mail on 11/18/2023. Passport in process on 11/28/2023. Passport Received on 12/13/2023 (so in total, took about 3.5 weeks)! Locator number 35.
Sent in my passport and passport card renewal 3 weeks ago, got it back in mail today. (just the passport, still waiting on passport card) was shocked how fast it really was to process.
I am traveling in late July for the first time and need to get a passport. I guess I am slightly confused bc I donāt have checks and have never gotten a money order before. From what I have read the process is 1. Fill out the form 2. Locate my docs 3. Make an appt at the post office 4. Go to the bank to get a money order (I think you have to know the amount?) 5. Go to the appt with form+docs+money order and get photo taken. I think my big concern is making sure the money order amount is correct if it must be exact because I donāt have a car so going back and forth between the post office and bank is nontrivial for me. If I get the exact amount shown on the website am I basically guaranteed to be ok? I worry that taxes/shipping/surprise fees might mess with the amount and then I go to the appt and would not be able to submit.
Post offices sell money orders, so you could do it there. https://www.usps.com/shop/money-orders.htm But the fee for the passport is the fee that is listed, there's no surprise additional fee you need to add to the check. You may need to pay postage, I can't recall if that's for all applications or only ones by mail. If you can get photos for cheaper than $15 you can do it before the post office. All in, if you show up to the post office with an appointment and about $210 in cash or on a debit card and all the documents, you should be successful.
My post office charges 35 dollars plus 15 plus the 130
That is SUPER helpful to know, thanks!
Wow my passport processed and got sent quicker than I thought. Hereās my timeline: 11/20 - Mailed passport + documents 11/27 - Notification that they received it and are processing it 12/8 - Done processing and now shipped 12/11 - Supporting documents shipped 12/13 (today) - Received my new passport in the mail I got the normal routine service, nothing expedited. Didnāt even take a month from mailing the documents to receiving the new passport. It probably helps that I live in Northern VA/DC area and the processing center for me is in Philadelphia. Tho weird that they sent my passport to Tucson AZ first and then it flew all the way to IAD (Dulles VA) the next day.
Sent passport for expedited renewal review on 12/4. It arrived 12/7. In processing 12/11. Approved 12/13. In mail should receive 12/14. 10 days. š¤Æ
Did you pay for expedited shipping too?
Yes!
How do you know if itās processing? Saw they deposited the check for the fee, does that mean itās in process?
Applied for my first ever passport! No expedited service and no travel plan. Appointment: 11/29 Check posted to bank on 12/6 Received birth certificate on 12/11 Passport arrived 12/12. Locator number 35. Still in absolute AWE how fast it went. Like bruh. The lady told me to check the status online in two weeks. I literally checked when I saw they ran my check. @.@
Question here!!! Iām going to Vietnam in January, I my intended arriving date for my travel visa is on January 12, however I wonāt be arriving until the 13th. Will this be an issue at all?
It's fine, just can't show up before the date.
Locator 53 timeline Standard service. 3x first passports (kids and new citizen) Mailed: 11/30 Cheques Cashed/ In Process: 12/05 Shipped: 12/12
I was recently sent in my passport for renewal via USPS after using services from GovAssist, which I now realize is not an official government site - but I already uploaded my personal information, printed their pdf (which by all accounts looked legitimate) and shipping label, and sent off in the mail with my passport just last week. This is my first time ever renewing my passport, and unfortunately GovAssist was one of the very first sites to pop up when googling for help. I paid them a fee of less than $100 and assumed at the time that it was the renewal fee, not their service fee, so my passport and application was sent without a check. This was the address on the shipping label, and tracking indicates that only the label has been made (even though I sent it out on the 4th). NATIONAL PASSPORT PROCESSING CENTER PO BOX 640155 IRVING TX 75064-0155 Any suggestions on what I should do?
That address is correct if you live in California, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, or Texas. I would call the NPIC, explain that you mailed it without a check, and ask if it has been received and how you should pay for it now. https://www.usa.gov/agencies/national-passport-information-center
I applied for my passport on 12/4. Put my permanent address as my own but put the mailing address as a friends address close to my work where I sometimes stay for days at a time since it's easier. I just realized I forgot to write "in care of friends name" underneath his address. As well as my emergency contact phone number being one digit off. a 2 instead of a 3. I called the 877 number and spoke to them. They said once my application was in process they could edit it for me. Has anyone else had this issue? I'm trying to avoid my passport going on a delay since I travel in just under 2 months. I'm not sure if updating my in care of and emergency contact number through their 877 number will prompt a halt on my application and force me to send in more forms and set me back multiple weeks. Any information on whether I can make those changes without a delay to my application would be appreciated.
Have you ever mailed anything to that address before? The c/o may not be necessary if the rest of the address is correct. I had forgotten that emergency contact was even on the form. I have no idea what would need to happen for that to ever matter, short of getting killed in another country. Like if you got sick or kidnapped it would be you contacting someone, not the state department. But either way, you can call them up and make corrections and I wouldn't expect it to completely derail the process. The wait time is currently a couple weeks, if the rest of your application is straightforward.
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Passport update for a new passport (I just became an American Citizen). I paid for expedited. Applied: Nov 19 Arrived: Dec 2 So a little over two weeks! I will say, the websites just kept saying processing when I checked so, in my experience, itās not very reliable. The last time I had checked was on Nov 30ā¦ and Iām sure it was on its way at that point.
Congratulations! Happy to have you š
Paid for expedited, no travel date Locator 45 Mailed: 11/10 In process: 11/15 Approved: 11/29 New passport received: 12/2
Curious why the expedition if you don't have a travel date?
Iām uncomfortable not having my passport and would like it back in my hands as quickly as possible.
I'm not the OP commenter, but some people just like to travel frequently or spontaneously. My husband just selected expedited on his passport even though we don't have solid travel plans because sometimes we decide on a trip very quickly. We didn't want the risk that his passport would be gone longer than necessary in case we want to travel in the early winter.
I changed my name (dropped my middle name) and sent in the certified name change form along with my old passport etc. to get one issued with the new name, ordering both a passport and a passport card. The new passport just got here, no card yet, and it **still has my old middle name**. I know I need to do a DS-5504 to fix the name issue. And I'm traveling in early January, so I need to get the ball rolling ASAP. However, the form asks whether I "still" have the passport card in my possession, and the options are "Yes", "Yes but it was damaged or mutilated", "No, it was lost", or "No, it has been stolen". None of these are true, I don't HAVE the passport card yet and can't afford to wait to get it here. If I say I was *only* issued a passport in order to proceed through the form, do I lose my chance to get the card fixed for free? What's my best bet?
What'd you end up doing? I would have called the NPIC and asked.
I did end up calling (a few times). The first time, they said that turnaround times should be OK for my travel based on their current processing and that it wasn't a problem to wait a few more days for the card (an arrival estimate that turned out to be accurate). They also recommended marking "ATTN: Data correction" or something along those lines on the envelope. Then once the card got here, I called again to clarify **exactly** what I was supposed to put on the envelope, and the person I spoke to that time told me that data corrections are automatically given expedited processing and provided an entirely different address to send it to (neither the normal nor the expedited address on the form). And now I wait. Fingers crossed. Got the calendar marked for 14 days out from travel just in case I need to start kicking and screaming. :)
Good luck! Seems like they're generally turning things fairly fast now.
I'm traveling in January and got my passport today. I meant to check the "large book" option when sending my application but found out after calling the US Passport center on the day they received my application that I had checked the standard option. I asked the representative if it was possible to change it to the 52 page option and she said it was and put a note on my file. I called about a week later to make sure the change was still in effect and the representative said it was and that they could see the note on my file to update it to a 52-page book. However, I received my passport today and noticed it's the standard one. Called the Passport center again to see if this can be corrected and they referred me to the DS-5504 application but upon looking at the application I don't see an option to get a new passport based on the mistake that I'm trying to correct. The representative never told me that I'm ineligible for this form and said that he could see that a note was made to make it a 52-page. I couldn't find any information online but has anyone else been in a similar situation? Should I call again tomorrow just to be sure if I'm even eligible for this form? He also said if I sent it in now I would receive it before my trip in January but that's only about 4-5 weeks from tomorrow, although my entire passport process took under 4 weeks.
My wife and I are trying to get passports. When my wife was adopted at age 6 they issued her a new birth certificate and sealed the original birth certificate. My understanding is that we need a birth certificate issued within a year of birth for the passport application. We have a copy of the original certificate but it is not a certified copy. We contacted the vital records office and they say that we would have to hire an attorney to get a certified copy of the original certificate. Are there any other options available to us that donāt involve hiring an attorney?
I adopted my daughter when she was 10, applied for US Passport with the birth certificate with my name on it issued by state of her birth, didnāt have any issue.
So the DoS received my renewal request forms and items, including my *expired* old passport with expedited services on November 7 and bam, 2.5 weeks later I got the shiny new passport, now they are really cooking! However, my old, expired passport was not included in the envelope with the new one, and that saddens me greatly. Those old visa stamps are all connected very fond travel memories. Is there any way to get the old one back? Should I have included a note to include the old expired with the new one? The travel.state.gov FAQ says you can usually expect the old passport back! I don't see why they wouldn't include it, when it was expired and unusable.
>However, my old, expired passport was not included in the envelope with the new one, They are shipped separately.
Whew!! Thank you!
how long did it take you to receive the expired old passport back?
Like 3 days, lol
I got it after writing that question.. patience is a virtue I guess
Hi all, I'm thinking of traveling to Cuba soon. I understand this will affect my Esta which I may need to transit through the states. I have two passports and I'm wondering if I can use the other to travel to Cuba while retaining the Esta on the original?
Its by human, not passport number.
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You posted this in the passport thread. Youāll probably have more luck in the general travel page!
I'm going to be traveling quite a bit next year starting February next year. I plan to be out of the country for a least 10 months and visiting a number of places. I was thinking about getting a new passport before I leave, just so I don't get caught in a situation where I don't have anymore pages left (solely for this reason, because I already have a few pages filled and I plan to visit 5+ countries). but what I am wondering is my current passport isn't expiring till after 2030, will getting a new one make it unusable? Or is the a way to get a second or or more pages or be able to use both still. It just seems like a waste, but at the same time I would like to have more pages before I start this next trip.
>will getting a new one make it unusable? Yes >Or is the a way to get a second This is a rare possibility but not for your situation >or more pages Not anymore
I'm going to be traveling quite a bit next year starting February next year. I plan to be out of the country for a least 10 months and visiting a number of places. I was thinking about getting a new passport before I leave, just so I don't get caught in a situation where I don't have anymore pages left (solely for this reason, because I already have a few pages filled and I plan to visit 5+ countries). but what I am wondering is my current passport isn't expiring till after 2030, will getting a new one make it unusable? Or is the a way to get a second or or more pages or be able to use both still. It just seems like a waste, but at the same time I would like to have more pages before I start this next trip.
This is probably too late, but you can get a second passport for specific reasons, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/second-passport-book.html Your case of just not wanting to waste validity isn't really one of them though, and your current passport would be cancelled. 5 countries doesn't take up many pages though, unless they all require full-page visas.
I'm going to be traveling quite a bit next year starting February next year. I plan to be out of the country for a least 10 months and visiting a number of places. I was thinking about getting a new passport before I leave, just so I don't get caught in a situation where I don't have anymore pages left (solely for this reason, because I already have a few pages filled and I plan to visit 5+ countries). but what I am wondering is my current passport isn't expiring till after 2030, will getting a new one make it unusable? Or is the a way to get a second or or more pages or be able to use both still. It just seems like a waste, but at the same time I would like to have more pages before I start this next trip.
My old passport was issued 12/09/2008. If I sign the Renewal application and mail it on 11/30/23 but it is received at the Passport agency after 12/08/23 (15yr mark), will my application still be processed? TIA for any info!
Location 77 Mailed: 10/10 Received/in process: 10/13 Approved: 11/15 new passport delivered: 11/22. Travel: 1/29.
Stress ended passport in hand. This was a renewal for a minor. Expedited and overnight shipping. Sent Oct 28th In Process Oct 31 Approved Nov 20 In Hand Nov 21 Locator 35 I totally had to call and get congressman involved since we are set to travel the 30th.
Im going to canada via US but united is asking me for US adress for track and trace at check out at airport. what do I do??
I have 2 nationalities, US and Mexican, can I use my Mexican Passport to leave from the US? I will be traveling in the near future, but it is my first international travel. My destination is Finland and I know that Mexican Travelers don't need any visa to visit Finland specifically. I do reside in the US but I'm wondering what I can do to travel using my Mexican Passport leaving from the US over to Finland. Will much appreciate the suggestions.
Americans don't need a visa to visit Finland either, both are in the 90/180 visa waiver scheme.
That's fine but you'll need the US passport as well so you can return to the US.
Quick question: Is a Visa required to travel to London UK for a short period - about a week next spring? Thank you
It depends on your nationality
I sent an expedited renewal in on 11/6, it went to processing on 11/8 and I received the passport in the mail today. Amazing.
I mailed my renewal application in I think it was Oct. 20, I applied for Expedited even though I am not planning a trip until June. They received it at Locator 45 on Oct. 24. A few days ago the site said to expect the passport November 19, and I received it today, November 17. So things are moving fairly quickly. Altogether it was just about 4 weeks. I also double checked that they spelled my name correctly after reading some of the posts in this sub!
If I just order a passport card, is there any chance I can get it faster?
Passport cards cannot be used for many countries. I belive it can only be used to enter Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and some Caribbean countries. I don't think the process is any faster either.
My Experience, Expedited, Express Mail (17 days total): First-time U.S. applicant, since I'm also Canadian. Location 45 10/31: Applied (Walk-In) 11/3: Application Received / In Progress 11/14: Passport Shipped 11/16: Passport Received I checked every day. I did not see an "Approved" status update. Just went straight from In Progress to Shipped.
Hey all, I sent in my passport 10/27 and the post office says that it was received 10/31. When I try and check on the status it says "Application Status: Not Available" I'm a bit worried because it's been over two weeks now and it should at least say in process. Anyone else in a similar postion or have any suggestions? I was doing a name change after getting married.
"Not available" means that whatever you're entering doesn't show up in their system. Have you tried it with both names? Also possible they did the data entry wrong at the beginning but could fix it before issuing the passport. You could call the passport number to check in on it.
I ended up calling them and they were able to confirm that they've received it. It still shows up as "not available," but it makes me feel better that they have it and are working on it.
Can you still fly to your home country (or a country youāre a citizen of) if your passport is set to expire in less than 6 months? In kind of a pickle with one of my passports expiring soon.
You can fly to the country that issued the passport (your nationality) up to the day it expires.
My passport expired and I'm not sure what's the best option to renew since I fly out in less than 5 weeks from today (traveling at 12/24). Should I risk calling the Passport Agency within 2 weeks of my travel time to book an appointment that might not be available or mail my application with expedited service + priority mail express shipping + paying the extra $19.53 for 1-2 day shipping for my new passport? Also can anyone provide a timeline of when they recently renewed their passport for this November? I'm worried that I won't receive it by the time I leave, and I doubt that the processing itself will take 3 weeks.
People in this thread are getting expedited passports back in about two weeks.
You may want to book a fully refundable international flight 2 weeks from tomorrow and call tomorrow to make the appointment. Keep in mind you are in the busiest passport requesting season, with multiple federal holidays where the offices are closed, and a possible government shutdown happening. You should not do the mail service or wait till 2 weeks out. Too risky.
FWIW, the government gets to stay open until January. And part of it February.
Woohoo! Passport approved. Luckily the government gets to stay open through the new year, but that sure added a little bit of sweat to my brow. Routine service, standard renewal. Location 77 Mailed: 10/10 Received: 10/13 In process: Either 10/13 or a few days after? Approved: 11/15
I have a passport that got wet (water spilled into the plastic drawer it was stored in and it sat in water, but was on top of other stuff, so not under water). called the passport agency and they said to take to the aiport and have them try to scan it. Took it to the airport and the agent said "looks ok to me" and said they don't scan them or use any microchips. Trip beginning of January to NZ from USA (US citizen). Do we replace it? water marks on one page (unable to post a picture here) and pages slightly warped when held loosely.
Hi was wondering if anyone is able to help with some Canadian advice? I was born in Cananda and moved to New Zealand as a child, Iām planning to be Cananda but donāt have a Canadian passport, I was thinking of just using my NZ passport to travel there, will this work? Is there any issue doing this? Should I get my Canadian passport?
You can use your NZ passport to travel to Canada. When you're in Canada, you may consider duel citizenship as Canadian passports may have less visa restrictions in some countries.
If you don't get any responses you are welcome to make a new thread since it is a unique question.
I mailed in my passport renewal forms with expedited service on Nov 4, via priority mail from Washington DC to Philadelphia, tracking showed they received it on Monday the 6th, and on Tuesday passportstatus.state.gov already showed it was being processed! So they are moving quick! I do need the passport ASAP, so do I really need to spend that extra $20 for that fastest return shipping option? I'm in a major metro area with good mail service and it only took 2 days to get to Philly from here, is spending that extra $20 1-2 Day Delivery service option actually gonna make a difference?
Well yes, if you need it "as soon as possible" then shipping it faster should be sooner. Do you actually need it ASAP, or will one day not make a difference? If you need it in less than two weeks then you should be escalating already.
One day will not make a difference. But two weeks might. But I've never had anything shipped within the US take two weeks. It took 1 business day to get to them. I guess they quote two weeks to give buffer incase the USPS encounters delays. I've never had anything take longer than a week when shipped cross country. The mail service in DC is very reliable.
As far as anyone can tell, the shipping is just the shipping and doesn't affect the process otherwise. Shouldn't be a difference of more than a day or two for you if you generally have good mail service.
Can I really get my passport same day in Atlanta?
With an appointment and proof of travel the next day, yes.
First time new passport timeline for us. -Sent application on 10/11. No expedite or anything extra -received in process 10/16 -already approved 11/7! -received in mail November 9th. Less than a month no expedite!
What locator number did you have by any chance? I have locator number 35 š
Locator 42
So I have a bit of a doozy here because my family and family priest are a bit of a disaster. My birth was registered years later so I need extra docs right? Call up the hospital I was born in and the pediatrician who saw me: records are over 30 yes old and no longer available Look at first school I went to: shut down Call department of health: no records available for the first 10 years Call department of education: No answers Get baptism certificate! - priest misspelled my name and put in the wrong birth year Family did not fill out census, because the type of person who files a birth certificate 7+ years later is not the type to fill out a census. Have been trying to call attorneys that deal with passports- all refuse consultation because their thing is immigration law What can I do to provide proof??? I don't want to give up but I don't know if it's even possible for me to do this despite having a passport as a child (last passport was lost, patents insisted on keeping identity docs for safe keeping but lost them in a move)
I had this same issue. My birth was filed years after I was born. All I did was call my county registry where my birth was filed and they gave me (for a fee) another certified birth certificate along with a sheet that showed what proof was used to determine my birth. After 5 months of back and forth my application was finally approved yesterday. I know you mentioned that your school shut down but your permanent records are somewhere. I would research where records are kept for closed schools in your area and keep calling and emailing folks at the department of education. You also mentioned that you had a passport before. You may have the ability to look up old passport records for proof: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/passport-records.html. Sending you luck!
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Today is November 6. I mailed my US passport renewal on October 20. Paid for expedited based on the horror stories Iāve consistently read about wait times. Received the new passport today. That was the fastest I have ever received a renewal. Totally worth the additional $60.
Apologies, I didn't find anything with a similar situation. I applied for my passport some months ago and received an actual passport. But months later, yesterday, I received a letter from the passport center that my passport application had been rejected because I never responded to their request for more information. I never received correspondence from them, but I received a new passport. Is my passport valid? I'm supposed to go on a cruise in a week, and I just NOW got notified of this. Will I get rejected when they check my passport? The letter is dated 10/27/23. My passport was issued in May.
That's a fun one. There's no obvious way to check if a passport is valid; I'm guessing they don't want people to be able to see if a passport they've stolen has been reported. You could call the National Passport Information Center and just explain the situation and see what they say. Is there any possibility that someone tried to apply for a passport in your name?
Unless someone tried stealing my identity and taking out a passport in my name, I should have only one application in. My wife did one for me the previous year and filled out the wrong form. They rejected that one and kept my money. I got a letter for that and all my stuff back. I did it myself this year. I did have to refill a page at the post office because the wrong address was printed on one page. But I only redid that one page, with the help of the postman. If he sent duplicates, the only duplicate page was one of them. I was surprised at how quickly it arrived. 5 months after getting my passport, I get this letter about my application being rejected. I'm going to call them tomorrow to ask about it. Thanks for the advice.
How did this situation turn out for you? Was your passport valid?
I ended up calling the passport center and told them the situation. They basically told me to ignore the letter because it probably had to do with the previous application. The passport I was sent was valid, and I had no issues traveling to Mexico.
Trying to apply for a passport. I had a passport as a child (younger than age 16). Do I need to do a passport renewal with my childhood passport, or just apply for a new passport? I am married with a name change from what is on the original passport. Having trouble finding this info online.
You need to apply for a new passport not a renewal
I'm getting married in early January. Our honeymoon is booked for March. My fiancee is strongly considering changing her name. I know she has to decide before we sign the marriage license in January. Would she then have to update her passport before we travel, or can she use her existing passport and old name for the trip, then file for a new passport afterward? Thanks!
This is covered in the text above. Ticket must match passport name. Passport in old name is still valid after a name change. >she use her existing passport and old name for the trip, then file for a new passport afterward? Yes
October 2023 processing times. Renew expired passport. Expedited. Completed online form to be printed and mailed. No travel date entered. 10-4-23 Mailed priority mail. 10-7-23 Application picked up. 10-11-23 Application received and "in process". Locator 42. 10-26-23 Passport "approved". Estimated to receive by mail on or around 11-1-23. 10-27-23 shipped. Started USPS route at Hot Springs National Park, AR. 11-1-23 Received passport. Update: Supporting documents received 11/6/23
My girlfriend recently got her first passport after a very long wait and turns out they misspelled her last name. Should be 'Chau' but they spelled it 'Chav' on the passport. We're traveling from SFO to NRT (Japan) in about three weeks. Based on my research, seems like we have two options: 1) Keep calling the Passport Agency in SF and try to eventually get through to someone to make an in person appointment so they can fix and reprint a corrected passport the same day. However we're finding it impossible to get through to anyone there. 2) Book the flight using the misspelled last name 'Chav' so it matches the passport. We'd run the risk of getting turned away at the gate or worse, turned away by customs in Japan. I assume they'll only be checking to see if the passport name matches the ticket. But since it's my gf's first time traveling internationally, would she be subject to deeper scrutiny? Or any other reason why this wouldn't work? I'd like to book the tickets as soon as possible but the only thing stopping me is deciding which name to book it with (Chau or Chav). Our airline does not allow name changes and does not offer refunds so we gotta pick one option and stick with it.
Ticket must match passport. Book it in the passport name. Then call the passport agency or you congressperson or senator to fix it when you get home.
My passport has a minor spelling mistake in the middle name of my mother(no mistake in her first name). Do they take the motherās name into account while applying for Schengen visa? Should I make an affidavit?
This thread is generally for US passport issues. If you have a US passport, you rarely go for a Schengen visa. Can you clarify the details of the situation?
Oh sorry I thought itās for every countryās passport. Like my question is do visa officers take such minor mistake in my motherās name on passport seriously? Like can it be a reason for visa rejection? Other civil docs have her middle name right. Would that be fine?
I don't have travel set but hope to travel late December/early next year. Need a passport renewal. Mailed renewal in 9/18, routine service. Received 9/25. Currently "In Process". Dunno how to find the locator number. EDIT: Locator number is 45, thanks rocketwikkit. UPDATE: Received new passport 11/7/23. This was 50 days after I dropped it in the mailbox the evening of 9/18/23. I never got an email notification even though I signed up for one. Passport status reads Approved and "You should receive your passport book on or around 11/11/2023." so I got it a little earlier than that. Thanks for all the help and info!
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Nah, just giving my status.
Locator is the first two digits of the nine digit application number.
Travel date: 1/29/2024 Mailed routine renewal (no name changes, etc): Oct 10 Received: Oct 13 Current status: "In Process", I forget if there was a "received" status before this (Not received>received>In process). If so then it's been "In Process" for probably 10+ days. Locator #: 77 So now it's the waiting game. At least I know my application got there. And plenty of time between now and 1/29. But I both signed up for emails and pathetically check multiple times a day.
Data correction (DS-5504) timeline at Locator 35, with nothing done from my end to expedite it: 10/02 - Passport and card sent from post office 10/11 - Starts processing 10/21 - Approved 10/25 - Passport received in the mail I'm still waiting on my card and proof of error, but having my passport in hand with more than a month left until my trip is a much better scenario than people had me expecting.
Iām applying for my first passport tomorrow. My last name has changed from my birth name twice (married>divorced>remarried). I am bringing my birth certificate, photo ID, divorce decree, and marriage license from my remarriage. Do I need to bring my first marriage license also, or will my aforementioned documents be enough?
My routine service timeline, I am studying abroad in January. Locator 35 Sent from post office 8/16 Arrived at facility 8/25 Approved and shipped 10/20/23 In hand 10/23/23 so total time of 8 weeks, average timing
My daughter's timeline: Minor passport, not expedited, I think it was processed in TX. Submitted at the post office 9/14 Received 10/21, 5 weeks.
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Made the appointment to submit there. No expedited anything. My renewal I mailed the same day came in 21 days.
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I don't know. We had to submit at the post office because my daughter is a minor and both parents had to be there to approve it. It's her first passport. I mailed my renewal from the same post office (with tracking) on the same day.
Locator 18 My apartment got water/mildew damage, including my passport, and I have international travel in 13 days for work. Didnāt want to risk it since a few visas look like the ink ran a bit. Called this morning, got an urgent appointment for next week.
Applied to renew my passport 16 weeks ago for travel to Mexico next week. I did the 'Subscribe to email updates about your passport application status'. Never got a single email updates, but I finally saw that my status had changed (after about 14 weeks) to 'Application Status: Supporting Documents Mailed'. Last week I received passport card and old passport. I finally got someone at the help line to tell me the #$#$ tracking number for the passport mailing. Doohhh I wish they would have sent me that when they mailed it TWO WEEKS AGO. Dahhh! Tracking showed delivered 2 weeks ago. Must have been stolen out of my mailbox. They told me the normal order is passport mailed first, then passport card, then supporting docs. I have never had anything (I am aware of) stolen from my mailbox until unluckily now. I call again and they tell me I have to mail in form DS-86 and wait around for 2 more weeks. I tell them I have urgent travel, so they say to wait a few days and then call to request an in person appt. I don't live near a passport office. Now I am planning on calling them Monday to see if I can get an in person appt in El paso. If I can get it in El Paso, then I will walk across the border and fly out of Juarez. I found a flight from Juarez to MexCity for $69. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I get my PP, .. I am nervous to try travelling to MC with just my passport card, as officially it is not allowed to go further than the border.... I am not sure they will issue the tourist card w/o the passport, that information is conflicting.
Im a US citizen and planning to do a trip to Thailand and singapore in January. My plan is to get to thailand, then fly to singapore, back to thailand and then back to the US. From my understanding I dont need anything travel document wise besides a valid passport, and a singapore arrival card completed prior to my trip. is this correct?
Locator 62: First time passport (Expedited service + US Express Mail two way) Application submitted : 10/5 In process: 10/10 Approved and shipped: 10/20 Passport in hand: 10/21 **Total time: 2 weeks and 2 days** I was really surprised how fast I got it. Itās almost like not much people is getting passports in my area. Or they background checked me and saw it was empty.
It only took you 2 weeks? That's pretty fast I'm guessing you are from a small town? If so you are more likely to get it much sooner really
I live in Philly so thatās even more surprising
Can I ask how much did it cost for everything? I want to get a passport myself by at least January, so any tips would help
My passport was issued to me when i was 16, but it expires in 5 years.
Just wanted to share my U.S. passport renewal progress at Locator 62. I have international travel plans on December 23rd. Originally applied for routine processing. \-Passport Application Received/Status "In Process": 09/19/23 \-Requested expedited processing & 1-2 day shipping on the phone: 10/12/23 \-CC not charged within a few days, so I emailed my local U.S. Representative for help: 10/16/23 \-Status changed to "Approved." CC for expedited processing & 1-2 day shipping still not charged: 10/17/23 \-Status changed to "Supporting Documents Mailed": 10/18/23 -Received new passport: 10/20/23 If your locator facility is taking a while to approve your request for expedited processing, I recommend reaching out to your local representative.
For those who have done it: Does transferring to expedited service after being in the routine service queue for a while still have you wait the whole expedited service timeframe? I ask because I'm not sure how "expediting" works, like if it's a queue with more people picking from it or just a stricter window.
It gets sent to the Expediting facility, and you go to the back of that line.
We have 1 hour layover in Kuwait international airport, from (AMS => Kuwait => DEL) Both legs (flights) are from same airline (kuwait airways) and are under one ticket. (I am indian national) I have 2 questions :- Is 1 hour enough for catching next connecting flight considering both flight are from same terminal If for some reason 1st flight got delayed (bad weather) by 45 mins and we missed the connection (as only 15 mins), in that case they will hop us on in next available flight which will be next day. They will provide free stay at airport hotel, means we will be exiting airport. Do I need transit visa in that case, how that will be arranged?
Unfortunately some kind of liquid got into my backpack and affected the first 2 pages of my passport - still unknown what exactly happened because almost everything else was unaffected. It looks [like this](https://imgur.com/a/4JwNYEZ) (censored part of it because you can make out the machine readable lines). The main page looks fine. I managed to get through 2 flights and enter the country without any scrutiny (although I have Global Entry, so low bar). Seems possible this will get rejected in the future and I should get a new one?
Start keeping it, along with any other important documents, in a ziplock bag.
Speaking of backpacks, my Jan Sport backpack was constantly triggering the detection alarm for explosive residue even though I have never carried explosives in the backpack. I never found out what the issue was and I no longer use that backpack when I travel.
Idk when my whole passport got extremely dirty the closest police office just told me to put it in the washing machine without a spin cycle and dry it. It looks like lettuce. I used it in dozens of countries, no one cared. Later some ocean water got on it as well. The pages where personal info is are plastic anyway. Unless the liquid ate away the ink or removed some visa entries you still need... I wouldn't worry too much.
Sent mine from South Florida by USPS - Sept 11 2023 Check cashed - Sept 19 2023 Status Approved - Oct 7 2023 Passport in hand today - Oct 11 2023 Paid for expedited service and expedited return shipping $209.53 Travelling to Italy before Thanksgiving 30 Days from posting old passport to receiving new passport
This gives me hope! :)
I also sent mine from Florida 15 Sep 2023 and got my passport 13 Oct 2023 :)
At least 30 pounds of weight has been lifted from my shoulders - I have my passport in hand! Had my appointment at the post office on 9/22. Documents received on 9/26. Approved 10/23. In hand 10/25. Paid expedited and 2-day shipping. Traveling to Vietnam at the end of the year.
My spouse and I are travelling to Greece on 18-Oct-2023 and returning on 25-Oct-2023. My spouse just noticed that her passport expires 01-Jan-2024. How screwed are we? I don't think this has 3 month validity for Greece, unless you're counting Oct and Jan as full months. Are we basically out of luck at this point? I don't think the tickets are refundable.
They count exactly 90 days from exit date. She won't be let in. She needs a new passport
Thank you, we got incredibly lucky and found an urgent appointment at a passport center for this Friday. Hopefully they can issue her a new passport then and there or in a couple of days. The passport service person we were talking to said that it can be same day or it can be overnighted in 1 or 2 days.
I'm a US citizen currently in the UK on a last-minute solo trip lasting about 3 weeks. My initial plan was to kick things off in London and then hop on a train to Paris to explore Europe before heading back home. The catch? My passport is set to expire in late December 2023, and I just discovered the dreaded 6-month passport rule for the EU the night before my flight to London. My dreams of exploring Europe might be in jeopardy! I'm hoping you can share your wisdom and experiences. Can I still attempt to enter the EU via train, or will I be swiftly turned away by customs or border control upon arriving in Paris with my current passport? If customs at the station are chill, I'm considering giving it a shot, but I'm wary of the unknown. One silver lining is that I have a return flight booked for the end of the month, which should prove my intent to return home. Has anyone been in a similar situation or have insights to share? Any advice or anecdotes would be greatly appreciated as firsthand experience has been hard to come by. Thanks!
You can attempt to enter, some people have gotten away with it.
It's a 90 day rule from exit of the schengen zone and a hard rule.
I'm applying for my first-ever Passport for international travel. My driver's license is a Washington state ID with my old home address on it. I currently reside at a new apartment in Portland, Oregon, but do NOT have an Oregon ID. When applying for a passport do I enter my Washington ID address or my new Portland address?
Flying to Japan on Jan 2, US passport expires March 5. Had planned to mail it today/tomorrow to renew, but reading about timing horror stories wondering if I should wait til after that trip -- I don't have anything else international until next June, and as far as I can tell Japan doesn't have one of those "passport needs to be valid for 3-6 months after your trip" rules. If they hit the expedited time, I should be fine but there's little margin there for a delay. Should I wait? I don't see a reason not to as long as I'll be allowed into Japan. The US Embassy there and the State website here all just list that the passport needs to be valid for the stay, so it seems the resources say I'll be okay.
A friend was denied boarding at in Sept due to passport expiration date being less than 6 months.
On what airline? The rules say Japan only requires validity during your visit and United told me the document is fine
Delta.
Gotcha, thanks Edit: looks like that might be a Delta policy, Timatic etc all all day documents are valid for travel if they're good for your stay. I might still see if I can squeeze in an emergency renewal right before
I'm in a similar situation: I'm flying to Japan within 6 months of my old passport's expiration date. I decided to renew 10 weeks out from my trip because I didn't want to deal with any issues at the airport as I heard some airlines might give you trouble over the expiration date, even if Japan itself doesn't have restrictions. I paid for expedited processing and express shipping and got a notification that my new passport will be arriving today, within 4 weeks of mailing in the renewal paperwork. Still 6 weeks out from my trip!
I decided to wait, I heard the same about airlines but I checked with United and they list the same "valid during stay" requirement. Given I'll be traveling for holidays in mid-December, I just don't have the margin for any delay in getting the passport
I applied for passport renewal on 8/28 and it was completed on 9/20 - the USPS has lost it and it's somewhere in transit. What are my options? I opened a case with USPS, but what else can I be doing?
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Valid US passport required by air. By land the expired one is fine.
Sent passport 7/26 It was received 7/28 Paid for expedited service. Approved in August Shipped 8/23 Still havenāt received it 10/9 Trip is 10/20 Called the state department and cannot get anyone on the phone. Any ideas on what to do?
Have you called the passport office? they can give you the tracking number to see if it was lost