FYI - Passport Renewal Turnaround Time

[Driller36]

This is just a FYI for anyone interested. I mailed my routine, non-expedited passport renewal paperwork to Pennslyvania from Dallas, Texas, on Sep. 25. A few days later I received an email confirming that the paperwork had been received and that I could expect my renewed passport on or before Nov. 8. I received the passport on Oct. 25, exactly 30 days after mailing the paperwork, but of course, 'your mileage may vary'. Also, it does NOT contain a RFID chip.

 

Regards, Bobby

[girlbuffalo1]

I applied for my passport around Sept 27 and received mine Oct 23rd...standard method of processing.

[emjsea]

I had mine no more than 3 weeks after they received the envelope. I sent it from Baltimore. Very quick turn around.

[bubbles1209]

Turn around was fast on mine, only took 27 days, the routine way, not expedited. I live in Georgia, and mine came from New Orleans, not the kind with the chip either. I figured it would have come from a closer office, but it didn't. Personally, doesn't matter to me where it came from, I'm just happy I got it back so quickly:D

[lovebug33]

How do you know if it has a chip in it?

[bubbles1209]

How do you know if it has a chip in it?

There's this little gold emblem on the front cover that will let you know. Go to www.travel.state.gov and on the left hand side towards the top, you will see this: click on view the new e-passport. Scroll down, and you'll see the emblem.

[AKMISTY1]

Ours was pretty fast too. Submitted paperwork on the 6th of Oct. received passports in the mail on the 26th of Oct. Doesn't seem to have any kind of embedded chip either.

[Karibean]

I applied for a new passport, not a renewal, on Oct. 3rd at a local post office and received my passport exactly 3 weeks later on Oct. 21st. It has the chip in it. I couldn't believe the fast turnaround! I was expecting 6 weeks at the earliest!

[EMTgoneNUTZ]

We applied for our (new) passports earlier this month, the checks cleared last week so I imagine we'll be getting them soon.

At the risk of sounding dumb...what is the purpose of the "chip"? I gather that you don't know if your passport will have one until you get it? I hadn't heard anything about them containing a chip-just wondered...:rolleyes:

I hope anyone that is cruising in the early months of 07 have applied for their passports by now....I'd hate to think what the wait will be come December:eek:

[Karibean]

At the risk of sounding dumb...what is the purpose of the "chip"? I gather that you don't know if your passport will have one until you get it? I hadn't heard anything about them containing a chip-just wondered...:rolleyes:

 

Straight from the U.S. Passport website (http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/eppt/eppt_2498.html):

 

The chip will securely store the same data visually displayed on the photo page of the passport, and will additionally include a digital photograph. The inclusion of the digital photograph will enable biometric comparison, through the use of facial recognition technology at international borders. The U.S. “e-passport” will also have a new look, incorporating additional anti-fraud and security features.