Passport Renewal - Quick!

[wander]

My old passport arrived in Philadelphia on July 9th, I received my new one army home today - July 23rd.

 

I did pay for expedited service to be on the safe side.

[serendipity1499]

My old passport arrived in Philadelphia on July 9th, I received my new one army home today - July 23rd.

 

I did pay for expedited service to be on the safe side.

 

Thanks for this info.. We were planning to send our renewals in this week..Had our pictures taken at Walgreens, but mine looks like I'm "Very Angry".. :mad::mad: DH's is fine.. Paid $27 for both of ours..

 

My passport photo, which just expired was great..DH took them & I was smiling.. Walgreens claimed that you should not smile..I believe they don't know what they are talking about..

 

My Friend says no one will see my passport picture, but I really would like to have it taken again..

 

Not cruising until mid November, so have time.

Edited July 24, 2015 by serendipity1499

[POA1]

 

My passport photo, which just expired was great..DH took them & I was smiling.. Walgreens claimed that you should not smile..I believe they don't know what they are talking about..

 

 

 

OP - That's an impressive turnaround time from Philadelphia.

 

WRT the smiling passport photo - That's a real thing.

 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/photos/photo-examples.html

 

My theory is that if you are smiling, your passport will not match the expression that you have when you meet the friendly, helpful, and courteous immigration, customs, and TSA employees.

[Tampa Girl]

OP - That's an impressive turnaround time from Philadelphia.

 

WRT the smiling passport photo - That's a real thing.

 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/photos/photo-examples.html

 

My theory is that if you are smiling, your passport will not match the expression that you have when you meet the friendly, helpful, and courteous immigration, customs, and TSA employees.

 

Or, as one of our posters wrote, anyone looking that sick should not be traveling!

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

AAA members can have passport photos taken as a benefit of membership at least in California and Arizona so I assume throughout the US.

[POA1]

AAA members can have passport photos taken as a benefit of membership at least in California and Arizona so I assume throughout the US.

Yes. It's a core AAA (American Automobile Association) benefit.

[Diver2014]

My husband sent in his renewal last month - it was received in Phil. June 28.

Still waiting for the new one. State Dept website says 4-6 weeks. Okay, it's only been 4 weeks so any day now, I suppose.

[wander]

COSTCO only charged me just under $6 and I found out I actually got 4 copies. They show you the photo in the camera and will retake it if you are not happy with it. I am curious if they undercharged me - I do not remember them being so inexpensive in the past for Visa photos.

Edited July 24, 2015 by wander

[Old As Dirt Mom]

I sent my passport renewal application to Philly on July 1st. Got new passport back July 22nd. I did not request any expedited service. I was smiling in my photo, which they accepted. Go figure. I don't know what the algorithm involved is. I have had a passport since I was a baby long, long ago, and each passport has been renewed before expiration. I was born outside the U.S. I only mention these facts in case they might make any difference ( probably not).

[PatsyAnne]

Costco took mine and didn't allow smiling. For my picture, either you get a smile or you get to see a sliver of my eyes. For some reason, they said the passport office required eyes.

[guinnesshalfpint]

I wonder how they feel about a smirk in the photo [emoji57]

 

That is usually my true expression when crossing the border or going through customs. I always feel devilish for reasons I can't say or even explain

[serendipity1499]

OP - That's an impressive turnaround time from Philadelphia.

 

WRT the smiling passport photo - That's a real thing.

 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/photos/photo-examples.html

 

My theory is that if you are smiling, your passport will not match the expression that you have when you meet the friendly, helpful, and courteous immigration, customs, and TSA employees.

 

Thanks for posting the WEB site.. According to the U.S. Passport Office, they will accept a natural looking smile, so I hightailed it to CVS & had two more pictures taken with a smile on my face..:):) LOL

 

I looked so angry in the other pictures that I even scared myself.. Of course DH said he likes the other ones better but that was because I had on a red blouse instead of a pale orchid one.. I can't win! :D:D

 

We will not be seeing any helpful, courteous TSA employees, but will see wonderful, friendly & helpful Customs/Immigration Inspectors, which have me on file only because I worked for an International Airline.. I always smile at them & they usually smile at me unless they decide that we're carrying too much liquor or gold jewelry back..;) LOL

 

Promised DH no gold jewelry this time! Maybe I'll find something else instead..:)

Edited July 24, 2015 by serendipity1499

[sail7seas]

AAA members can have passport photos taken as a benefit of membership at least in California and Arizona so I assume throughout the US.

 

Thanks for mentioning about AAA. I had forgotten that benefit and will need a new photo soon. :)

 

[rkacruiser]

Thanks for mentioning about AAA. I had forgotten that benefit and will need a new photo soon. :)

 

 

Alas and alack! I have been a AAA member for years! I never knew such a benefit was available.

 

Thanks for the information. If a new Passport is needed in the future, I hope my memory will remember this!

[serendipity1499]

Mailed our Passports in for renewal on July 31 & received an e-mail today that my new passport has been mailed.. :):)

 

Tried putting DH's info into the system, to get an e-mail but it would not take it...Hopefully his is on it's way too.. Since we applied for both the card & the book it seems that we will be receiving three mailings for each passport..

 

The WEB site says it takes 4-6 weeks from the time they receive it, so this was fast..

Edited August 22, 2015 by serendipity1499

[pmcubed]

 

When my husband and I renewed our passports last we had our photos taken at a local post office - no charge.

 

and the passports arrived back to us within 3 weeks.

 

I thought it a miracle at the time.

[Bowie MeMe]

:D

Thanks for this info.. We were planning to send our renewals in this week..Had our pictures taken at Walgreens, but mine looks like I'm "Very Angry".. :mad::mad: DH's is fine.. Paid $27 for both of ours..

 

My passport photo, which just expired was great..DH took them & I was smiling.. Walgreens claimed that you should not smile..I believe they don't know what they are talking about..

 

My Friend says no one will see my passport picture, but I really would like to have it taken again..

 

Not cruising until mid November, so have time.

 

Oh I hear your pain on the photo -- mine taken by a teen boy in the photo shop about 3 years ago and no smile and no glasses PLUS eyes at half mast and there are yellow and pink smears over the face (I didn't remember the pictures being like that when sent in). I do catch "officials" grabbing a look on the sly to see if I match my photo and trying not to grin. It really does fulfill the "if you look like your passport photo you are too sick to travel!) statement. We travel a lot and have had pages added to passport so that also confuses and makes passport "different" slightly off center and 50 some pages thick with several having laminated in visas. Oh well just carry on traveling. Ugly or not I am proud to carry my passport and I'm always glad to return home to the US citizen line with my dirty laundry from my latest adventure.

 

Last week we were on a cruise to Caribbean with oldest daughter (early 40's and a Mom herself). She admitted when we arrived 5 days before the cruise for a family reunion that she "still needed to get her passport renewed". I nearly fainted!:eek: She had an appointment on Thursday and had her passport picture taken on way to Miami office. She had a traffic jam so she was late for appointment but they took her anyway. She had to pick -up her passport on Friday after 3 PM and before 4PM. I was frantic she was -- it will happen. Passport office NOT open on Sat. and we sailed on Sunday. Did I mention I was frantic and she was pretending not to be. Well she got the passport and her picture is fine and we had a great cruise. Please do not wait that long. It could have ruined the whole vacation. If I didn't use hair dye I would have white hair! (Yes I have reservations a year in advance and I carry at least 3 copies of passport plus post it on-line! :D

[boze9999]

We sent our renewals in on 7/17 and received them on 8/17. We were also told "natural expression / no smile" and this time I obeyed because my friend got her photo returned due to the smile. The main reason for no smile, and good eyes, is the computers are using facial recognition and smiles or closed/squinty eyes don't pass the computer test.

[take us away]

op - that's an impressive turnaround time from philadelphia.

 

Wrt the smiling passport photo - that's a real thing.

 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/photos/photo-examples.html

 

my theory is that if you are smiling, your passport will not match the expression that you have when you meet the friendly, helpful, and courteous immigration, customs, and tsa employees.

 

love that comment!

[Wrightwoodsbest]

Thanks for this info.. We were planning to send our renewals in this week..Had our pictures taken at Walgreens, but mine looks like I'm "Very Angry".. :mad::mad: DH's is fine.. Paid $27 for both of ours..

 

My passport photo, which just expired was great..DH took them & I was smiling.. Walgreens claimed that you should not smile..I believe they don't know what they are talking about..

 

My Friend says no one will see my passport picture, but I really would like to have it taken again..

 

Not cruising until mid November, so have time.

 

All new passport pictures must be with no smiles, mine looks horrible but that is how the customs officials want them. Apparently it is easier for the officials to compare faces.

[lastlook]

We had ours renewed this year and that is what we were told at our local AAA office too - no smiling. Although discounted with the AAA membership, they were not free.

 

We mailed ours in with normal processing and had them back in about three weeks.

[serendipity1499]

All new passport pictures must be with no smiles, mine looks horrible but that is how the customs officials want them. Apparently it is easier for the officials to compare faces.

 

We had ours renewed this year and that is what we were told at our local AAA office too - no smiling. Although discounted with the AAA membership, they were not free.

 

We mailed ours in with normal processing and had them back in about three weeks.

 

The Passport office WEB site does not state smiles are not permitted..

 

I got new photographs with a half smile & sent them in on July 31..

 

Received an e-mail yesterday that my new Passport & card has been mailed back to me..

 

From Travel.state.Gov Web ste: Quote

Your Photograph Must Be:

In color

2 x 2 inches in size

Printed on thin, photo-quality paper

Taken within the past 6 months, showing current appearance

Full face, front view with a plain white or off-white background

Between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head

Taken in normal street attire:Uniforms should not be worn in photographs except religious attire that is worn daily

Do not wear a hat or headgear that obscures the hair or hair line

If you normally wear prescription glasses, a hearing device, wig or similar articles, they should be worn for your picture

Dark glasses or nonprescription glasses with tinted lenses are not acceptable unless you need them for medical reasons (a medical certificate may be required)

Unquote

 

Edited August 23, 2015 by serendipity1499

[knittinggirl]

Thanks for this info.. We were planning to send our renewals in this week..Had our pictures taken at Walgreens, but mine looks like I'm "Very Angry".. :mad::mad: DH's is fine.. Paid $27 for both of ours..

 

My passport photo, which just expired was great..DH took them & I was smiling.. Walgreens claimed that you should not smile..I believe they don't know what they are talking about..

 

My Friend says no one will see my passport picture, but I really would like to have it taken again..

 

Not cruising until mid November, so have time.

Our passport took almost 7 weeks from the day it went in the mail. We had regular processing but expedited shipping. Good thing about the shipping, because I phoned them for an update and they gave me the tracking number. My emails from the state department actually came after I'd received the passports!

 

Walgreens insisted on no smiling for me, but not so for DH. They also insisted on pushing my hair behind my ears. So, I ended with a horrid photo too. Walgreens overexposed it a little, and the State Department overexposed my photo even more. But I figure anyone will decide I look a lot better than my mug shot, so that's a plus! We wondered about getting a second passport for backup, but then we'd have to mail the current one in and suffer the waiting game.

 

They made both of us remove our glasses. So, I just remove my glasses in customs.

Edited August 23, 2015 by knittinggirl

[chrispb]

Our passport took almost 7 weeks from the day it went in the mail. We had regular processing but expedited shipping. Good thing about the shipping, because I phoned them for an update and they gave me the tracking number. My emails from the state department actually came after I'd received the passports!

 

Walgreens insisted on no smiling for me, but not so for DH. They also insisted on pushing my hair behind my ears. So, I ended with a horrid photo too. Walgreens overexposed it a little, and the State Department overexposed my photo even more. But I figure anyone will decide I look a lot better than my mug shot, so that's a plus! We wondered about getting a second passport for backup, but then we'd have to mail the current one in and suffer the waiting game.

 

They made both of us remove our glasses. So, I just remove my glasses in customs.

 

Yes, same here in UK. Hair back off face, no smiling, no glasses, face camera straight on. Seems countries are falling into line with requirements.

[knittinggirl]

Forgot to mention. Their six weeks deadline didn't start until after they cashed the check and the funds cleared.

 

We also mailed our passport applications separately. The last time, we mailed them in the same envelope. They cashed both checks, processed mine, and lost DH's application.

 

Once it's in the system, they now have a record locator that you can give them over the phone for status.

Edited August 23, 2015 by knittinggirl