Need to Get or Renew Your Passport, Read This!

After well over a year of travel restrictions, many Americans are keen to explore the world once again. With international travel ramping up and starting to see record levels this summer, many Americans are finding that getting or renewing their passport is becoming a drawn-out process.

Why? Because due to the Covid-19 pandemic, State Department staff were drastically cut. Consequently, manpower to process passports has slowed down also, a lot. If you plan to travel internationally soon, here is what you need to know about applying for or renewing your passport in time for your trip.

Expect Extended Wait Times for Passport Processing

Currently, the timeframe to receive a passport is a lot longer than it was pre-pandemic (at only 2-3 weeks), some reports now say it can take up to 6 months. According to the State Department, the total turnaround time for a standard new passport application is at the very least 12 weeks, with an additional 6 six weeks to mail to the recipient due to United States Postal Service delays and staff shortages of their own.

For some international travelers, that is simply too long.

Delays in the process over the last year have prompted many desperate travelers to contact their elected officials, turn to social media for tips, and in some cases, travel across state lines in order to secure an in-person appointment to expedite their passport application. These appointments are very limited, due to continued Covid-related staffing restrictions. The situation has gotten so bad that there have been reports of people securing in-person appointments and then selling them to other desperate travelers for hundreds of dollars. 

If You Need to Expedite the Process

In exceptional circumstances such as a life-or-death emergency of a close family member or other essential travel, passports can possibly be renewed within 72 hours of the departure date. But customers must request an appointment via the Department of State website and present proof of travel within the next three days. 

If your need to travel internationally is urgent and falls within the above parameters, you can only make an appointment using the Online Passport Appointment System. Most people will find when they access this appointment system that typically everything is booked up. It is necessary to refresh the webpage many times in order to snag an available spot near your location. Alternatively, customers can also call 1-877-487-2778 to make an appointment. 

In fact, many people are taking to Twitter and Facebook to find out tips on how to secure that coveted in-person appointment. Once you do, it will only tat 24 to 48 hours to process your application. 

The fee for expediting the process is an extra $60 on top of the price of the passport or renewal. When you arrive for your in-person appointment, be sure to show proof of your travel within the next 3 days. This can be your printed airline reservation confirmation or email.

How to Handle the Passport Logjam

Submit your request for a passport or renewal as soon as possible, well in advance of when you will need it. Many countries require that you have six months or more validity on your passport when you enter the country, so be sure to check if your destination country has this requirement.

Check social media for tips on other peoples’ experiences regarding how to get through to customer service agents regarding your passport, and tips on in-person appointments. 

If you have an emergency situation where an immediate family member has died or is dying and you need your passport expedited, you will need to provide a death certificate or official letter from the hospital. You can make an in-person appointment within 72 hours of travel.

U.S. citizens who live in the states of Minnesota, New York, Vermont, Michigan, or Washington State can use their enhanced driver’s license to travel by land or sea – but not by air. So if you don’t already have an enhanced driver’s license, be sure to get it soon, as it will be required, especially for domestic travel, by 2022.

There is a light at the end of this delay, however. State Department officials have recently said that they are increasing their passport processing staff to address the backlog of nearly 2 million applications. Despite this, they did caution that turnaround times will not decrease immediately.