Passport Turn Around Time

[RWolver672]

Has anyone had any experience with the turn around time for Passport renewals since the virus hit?  Mine is good until February, 2022  but I don't want to wait until the last minute and not have it when I need it.

[d12j28]

7 minutes ago, RWolver672 said:

Has anyone had any experience with the turn around time for Passport renewals since the virus hit?  Mine is good until February, 2022  but I don't want to wait until the last minute and not have it when I need it.

 Plan on up to 3 months, however most people are getting them at around 6 weeks give or take.

[Fla Mike]

Your post made me check on the status of my renewal...

 

Our passports expire in November 2021.

I mailed the renewal information on 4-7-2021 and the USPS said that it was received by the passport office in 4-9-2021.

 

When I checked the website a few minutes ago I got this:

 

The U.S. Department of State has received your application for your passport book on 04/27/2021. We're now reviewing your application and supporting documents.

You requested routine service when you applied, which we are currently processing in 10-12 weeks.

I hope this helps a bit.

[MeHeartCruising]

I had mine done last year during the pandemic.  It took a little over the 12 week estimate in total.  I would expect that long and if it takes a little less, great.

[IntrepidFromDC]

Mailed my renewal and old passport December 18, certified, "regular service".  Never was the certified receipt updated as received, so I was plenty worried by mid-January.  In fact it still says "at Philadelphia hub", same status since late December.  But my new passport arrived February 8 and my old passport arrived separately February 11.

[vp1]

I sent ours off the first week of November - got them back sometime in February (about 3 months+).  I would absolutely plan on many months just to be safe. 

[RWolver672]

Thank you all for the replies.  We were thinking that it would probably take longer now.  That and if and when cruising starts back up again, there will probably be a rush on everybody getting theirs either for the first time or renewing an old one.  

 

[capriccio]

I applied for a new passport in late January.  The timeline was:

• renewal mailed (via certified mail for tracking purposes; costs about $4) on January 20
• received at the Department of State (DoS) Texas facility on January 25 (as estimated by USPS and confirmed by USPS tracking)
• notified by DoS e-mail that the renewal application was being reviewed on January 28
• notified by DoS e-mail that the renewal was approved and being printed on February 21
• notified by USPS that the estimated delivery date for the new passport was February 25
• passport arrived February 24
• received my canceled old passport on February 27

The State Department has a a number of passport processing facilities.  Applications are mailed to one of three (if I remember correctly) central locations and then disbursed to processing facilities throughout the country.  In my case, the application and old passport were mailed from Florida to Texas, the new passport was processed in Arizona, and the canceled passport was returned to me from a facility in Louisiana. 

 

When you do apply here are some sites I recommend for tracking your passport processing:

• USPS - sign up for Daily Informed Delivery and you will be notified when your new passport is en route to you (in addition to receiving info on mail and packages being delivered that day).  This is a free service:  https://www.usps.com/c360/images/informed_delivery/Informed Delivery Sign Up Guide Jan 2020.pdf
• Sign up for email status notifications from the Department of State (DoS):  https://passportstatus.state.gov/
• Check the status of your passport processing on the DoS website:   https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/status.html.

Edited May 1, 2021 by capriccio

[Ashland]

3 hours ago, capriccio said:

I applied for a new passport in late January.  The timeline was:

• renewal mailed (via certified mail for tracking purposes; costs about $4) on January 20
• received at the Department of State (DoS) Texas facility on January 25 (as estimated by USPS and confirmed by USPS tracking)
• notified by DoS e-mail that the renewal application was being reviewed on January 28
• notified by DoS e-mail that the renewal was approved and being printed on February 21
• notified by USPS that the estimated delivery date for the new passport was February 25
• passport arrived February 24
• received my canceled old passport on February 27

The State Department has a a number of passport processing facilities.  Applications are mailed to one of three (if I remember correctly) central locations and then disbursed to processing facilities throughout the country.  In my case, the application and old passport were mailed from Florida to Texas, the new passport was processed in Arizona, and the canceled passport was returned to me from a facility in Louisiana. 

 

When you do apply here are some sites I recommend for tracking your passport processing:

• USPS - sign up for Daily Informed Delivery and you will be notified when your new passport is en route to you (in addition to receiving info on mail and packages being delivered that day).  This is a free service:  https://www.usps.com/c360/images/informed_delivery/Informed Delivery Sign Up Guide Jan 2020.pdf
• Sign up for email status notifications from the Department of State (DoS):  https://passportstatus.state.gov/
• Check the status of your passport processing on the DoS website:   https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/status.html.

This is very similar to my DH's renewal time frame...much quicker than we thought it would be.

[CarolRoy]

Did my and DH renewal at the county clerk office Feb. 24, 2021.  Both were sent in separately at the same time.  Checks were cashed.  My DH got his new passport April 7.  I still have not received mine.  I did go online and got the same response - 

The U.S. Department of State has received your application for your passport book on 04/7/21. We're now reviewing your application and supporting documents.

You requested routine service when you applied, which we are currently processing in 10-12 weeks.

 

It's amazing why should my passport take so much longer.  Old passports would expire Aug. 2021.  Glad I did renew them some 6 months in advance.

[CarolRoy]

Finally got my passport today.  Some 6 weeks after my DH got his.  They both were renewed Feb. 24, 2021 at the local county clerks office.  His took 6 weeks and mine took 12 weeks!

[Lisakct]

Our passports expired in Feb 2020;  I mailed our renewals on April 7, 2021, and notified that our passports will arrive tomorrow (5/21).  so....right now it's about 6 weeks.

[Ride-The-Waves]

Our old passport books were received by State on 15 April.  Received new ones yesterday (19 May) and the passport cards today.  Great service by the US State Department during trying times.

[Tapi]

I sent my son’s out on April 27th. We received it today, May 20th, so a little over 3 weeks.

Edited May 20, 2021 by Tapi

[Bevv]

On 4/30/2021 at 8:14 AM, d12j28 said:

 Plan on up to 3 months, however most people are getting them at around 6 weeks give or take.

 6 weeks for us, got them the middle of last week.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Update on renewal.  Based on this thread we sent our passport renewal applications in on June 2, they were received June 3. When I starting checking on line the original time to wait for info was 4 weeks then it jumped to 6. Got a status update today: In Process, current process time is up to 12 weeks not including mailing which could add 6 weeks. I called this morning just before 8:00 AM, on hold for 45 to 55 minutes.  Finally talked to an agent who sent out an application to upgrade the processing to expedited with express mailing.  Additional fees are $60 for expedited and $17.50 for express mailing. Returned it via Email around 9:30.  I'll post back as I get additional information.

[cruisemom42]

We sent in DS's passport renewal and paid for the expedited service. We received the new passport last week and it took just less than 6 full weeks. 

 

Now that travel is starting in earnest, I would expect volume to be heavy and assume their reported time of up to 12 weeks for regular renewals is probably close to the mark.

[thinfool]

• This showed up in my email today...https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/us-passport-delays?utm_medium=email&utm_source=lpemail&utm_campaign=news-us-20210708

[cruiseaholic777]

It took 3 months for ours to come back.

[KirkNC]

Ours was about five weeks