Expedited Passport Renewal

[RLCookie]

My wife and I are traveling out of the country on June 10. We just discovered her passport is expired. I called to see how we can get this renewed. Apparently she can get an appointment for either June 7, 8, 9. The oppointments are scheduled 14 days prior. So on May 25 we can try and schedule her appointment for June 7.

Anyone gave any experience with this? They won’t tell me exactly what time the appointments become available. All they will tell me is it’s sometime in the morning before 8 am.

Any help or advice is appreciated.

 

[PSU87]

My wife and I are traveling out of the country on June 10. We just discovered her passport is expired. I called to see how we can get this renewed. Apparently she can get an appointment for either June 7, 8, 9. The oppointments are scheduled 14 days prior. So on May 25 we can try and schedule her appointment for June 7.

Anyone gave any experience with this? They won’t tell me exactly what time the appointments become available. All they will tell me is it’s sometime in the morning before 8 am.

Any help or advice is appreciated.

There are companies that will expedite it for you without leaving your house. On a recent business trip my company needed me in France and I didn't have a valid passport. They hired some outfit to expedite it, and I had it in about 5 days. Only thing I had to do was get the pictures taken.

I doubt however that such a service is cheap...

Edit....Apologies....I know that's not what you were asking, just offering a different option.

 

[BW Lion]

Assuming you’re in Pennsylvania, the Philly office is your best bet. Click on the below link about renewal.

if that doesn’t work, simply use a reputable passport renewal expeditor out of Washington DC. They tend to be a bit faster

Renew my Passport by Mail

Find out how to renew your U.S. passport by mail

travel.state.gov

 

[Locolion]

There are companies that will expedite it for you without leaving your house. On a recent business trip my company needed me in France and I didn't have a valid passport. They hired some outfit to expedite it, and I had it in about 5 days. Only thing I had to do was get the pictures taken.

I doubt however that such a service is cheap...

Edit....Apologies....I know that's not what you were asking, just offering a different option.

Exactly. In my past I have use A1 Passports for my wife and I. Super expedite is like 3 days or so from memory. For more days, the price is lower. Move as swiftly as you can prior to trip as the anxiety of time can be unpleasant. In this age of covid- no idea if timelines are hosed

 

[ClarkstonMark]

Good advice here ... if you strike out with an appt use an expediter.

Actually, I wouldn't even wait until 5/25, I would contact an expediter tomorrow and you'll have passport next week.

 

[LionDeNittany]

My wife and I are traveling out of the country on June 10. We just discovered her passport is expired. I called to see how we can get this renewed. Apparently she can get an appointment for either June 7, 8, 9. The oppointments are scheduled 14 days prior. So on May 25 we can try and schedule her appointment for June 7.

Anyone gave any experience with this? They won’t tell me exactly what time the appointments become available. All they will tell me is it’s sometime in the morning before 8 am.

Any help or advice is appreciated.

Have you checked to see if they take walk-ins?

They have appointments in my state as well, but they also accept walk-ins.

We did the latter and got it done fairly quickly.

Even if you get an appointment, will the renewal happen the same day?

LdN

 

[Agoodnap]

Have you checked to see if they take walk-ins?

They have appointments in my state as well, but they also accept walk-ins.

We did the latter and got it done fairly quickly.

Even if you get an appointment, will the renewal happen the same day?

LdN

Yes, you get it the same day.

If walk-ins are accepted (they may say no but still accept them) then show up at 6:45AM and post-up in line for the 8:00AM opening They take the line in order regardless if you have an appointment or not. You'll get right in and they'll have the passport ready by 1:00PM same day.

 

[RLCookie]

Yes, you get it the same day.

If walk-ins are accepted (they may say no but still accept them) then show up at 6:45AM and post-up in line for the 8:00AM opening They take the line in order regardless if you have an appointment or not. You'll get right in and they'll have the passport ready by 1:00PM same day.

Do you know if this is the case in Philadelphia? I called and asked. The guy told me I had to get an appointment and the only way I could get one was to do it online.

You’re saying if I go to Philadelphia and stand in line at 8 am they will take walk ups?

 

[Pardlion]

There are companies that will expedite it for you without leaving your house. On a recent business trip my company needed me in France and I didn't have a valid passport. They hired some outfit to expedite it, and I had it in about 5 days. Only thing I had to do was get the pictures taken.

I doubt however that such a service is cheap...

Edit....Apologies....I know that's not what you were asking, just offering a different option.

I believe we paid about 500 for this service a few years ago.

 

[Midnighter2]

My wife and I are traveling out of the country on June 10. We just discovered her passport is expired. I called to see how we can get this renewed. Apparently she can get an appointment for either June 7, 8, 9. The oppointments are scheduled 14 days prior. So on May 25 we can try and schedule her appointment for June 7.

Anyone gave any experience with this? They won’t tell me exactly what time the appointments become available. All they will tell me is it’s sometime in the morning before 8 am.

Any help or advice is appreciated.

Check the Department of State website for expedited options:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast.html

Expedited courier services will not expedite the processing of your passport on behalf of the Department of State beyond what paid expedited service from DoS will do; they will expedite getting your passport *to* and *from* the passport facility (usually via hand delivery) and essentially submit the expedited passport application on your behalf - they have no power to expedite the processing of your passport. If you pay for 'expedited service' from the Department of State, they will expedite your passport processing and if you use a courier service that fee will be included with whatever they charge you. You can also opt to pay additional money to DoS to have them send your completed passport with 1-2 day delivery.

So, your cost is:

Department of State - Expedited Service (4-6 weeks) + 1-2 Day Return Delivery = $60.00 + $17.56 = $77.56

I checked a 'passport expediting service' website and their fees start at $99 + whatever the hell a '$187.56 government fee' is - for 'expedited service' which is also 4-6 weeks. You will pay through the teeth for these services which do not do anything better or faster than you can do on your own, unless you do not have the time or capability to complete your application and mail it in.

 

[Midnighter2]

Yes, you get it the same day.

If walk-ins are accepted (they may say no but still accept them) then show up at 6:45AM and post-up in line for the 8:00AM opening They take the line in order regardless if you have an appointment or not. You'll get right in and they'll have the passport ready by 1:00PM same day.

Zero chance you can get a same day passport unless you qualify for some kind of emergency or have urgent international travel (such as traveling within the next 72 hours) and even then you're looking at a 72 hour turnaround timeframe. I mean it's 'possible', but it's not a routine service everyone who stands in a line would qualify for.

 

[scottpsurules]

Check the Department of State website for expedited options:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast.html

Expedited courier services will not expedite the processing of your passport on behalf of the Department of State beyond what paid expedited service from DoS will do; they will expedite getting your passport *to* and *from* the passport facility (usually via hand delivery) and essentially submit the expedited passport application on your behalf - they have no power to expedite the processing of your passport. If you pay for 'expedited service' from the Department of State, they will expedite your passport processing and if you use a courier service that fee will be included with whatever they charge you. You can also opt to pay additional money to DoS to have them send your completed passport with 1-2 day delivery.

So, your cost is:

Department of State - Expedited Service (4-6 weeks) + 1-2 Day Return Delivery = $60.00 + $17.56 = $77.56

I checked a 'passport expediting service' website and their fees start at $99 + whatever the hell a '$187.56 government fee' is - for 'expedited service' which is also 4-6 weeks. You will pay through the teeth for these services which do not do anything better or faster than you can do on your own, unless you do not have the time or capability to complete your application and mail it in.

Mailed my renewal on April 12, paid the 187.56 fee, check was cashed the following week. Still no pp. Trip to Turks&Caicos is still a month away, June 20, but starting to get a little nervous.......

 

[Lion84]

When my passport was stolen years ago I had to go to the Philly Passport office to get an expedited renewal - can't remember how quick the turnaround was but it was pretty fast - I think I did a walk up but that was pre-COVID so not sure they let you do that anymore.

 

[Midnighter2]

Mailed my renewal on April 12, paid the 187.56 fee, check was cashed the following week. Still no pp. Trip to Turks&Caicos is still a month away, June 20, but starting to get a little nervous.......

Used to have a contact at the Passport Office in DC but don't anymore; the expedited service companies aren't worth it if you are capable of completing your own passport application and FedEx'ing it to DoS for expedited processing. People think they can make the actual processing go faster, but they cannot. They just include the $60 expedited fee charged by State in their fee and you're still in the 4-6 week turnaround window (unless you qualify for an emergency passport, which is pretty difficult). You should be good though since it's been over a month already.

 

[Sharkies]

How does one book int'l travel without knowing if their passport is up for renewal or not? Don't you have to insert the passport number and stuff on the airline ticket?

 

[Agoodnap]

Zero chance you can get a same day passport unless you qualify for some kind of emergency or have urgent international travel (such as traveling within the next 72 hours) and even then you're looking at a 72 hour turnaround timeframe. I mean it's 'possible', but it's not a routine service everyone who stands in a line would qualify for.

Do you mean right now? Because I've stood in the morning line 4 separate times and have gotten passport each time, delivered around 1PM outside the building. You are correct that reservations are "supposed" to be required. I have booked a hotel in Toronto, made a copy of the reservation and then cancelled. The hotel reservation works just fine.

 

[Midnighter2]

Do you mean right now? Because I've stood in the morning line 4 separate times and have gotten passport each time, delivered around 1PM outside the building. You are correct that reservations are "supposed" to be required. I have booked a hotel in Toronto, made a copy of the reservation and then cancelled. The hotel reservation works just fine.

I'm shocked really that you were able to do that given the kind of work that goes into making a Passport, but it's not the strategy I would count on.

 

[jrl5019]

I too have also gotten a same day passport. You needed proof of travel within a certain timeframe. Had an 8am appointment, spent about an hour there completing paperwork and paying. By 2pm that day I had my passport.

I doubt you can just walk in during Covid but you should schedule the first appointment available or ask for cancellations if you’re not too far.

 

[BBG65]

My wife and I sent for renewals in January. I got mine back in about a month. Sher still hasn't gotten hers.

 

[Lion84]

How does one book int'l travel without knowing if their passport is up for renewal or not? Don't you have to insert the passport number and stuff on the airline ticket?

We have a trip to Bahamas booked and no you don't need to put in passport info to book but you will to get boarding passes.

 

[scottpsurules]

Used to have a contact at the Passport Office in DC but don't anymore; the expedited service companies aren't worth it if you are capable of completing your own passport application and FedEx'ing it to DoS for expedited processing. People think they can make the actual processing go faster, but they cannot. They just include the $60 expedited fee charged by State in their fee and you're still in the 4-6 week turnaround window (unless you qualify for an emergency passport, which is pretty difficult). You should be good though since it's been over a month already.

Guess what was in the mailbox when I got home last nite......

 

[Agoodnap]

I'm shocked really that you were able to do that given the kind of work that goes into making a Passport, but it's not the strategy I would count on.

I have done this process four times, three of which were in Philadelphia and one in Stamford Ct. By 7:30 AM the line is very long (like over 50 people long) so that's why I said to get there at 6:45 AM.

 

[Sproul]

Guess what was in the mailbox when I got home last nite......

It’s your dick in the box?