Passport Renewal 2016

To those of you who will need to renew your passport sometime within the next 6 months or so, I can tell you first hand that it won't take very long to get your new passport.

My DW and I needed to renew our passport. We mailed the "packet" to Philadelphia Pa on July 6 2016 via USPS, requesting normal processing time. Since our next cruise is not until January 2017, there wasn't any need for expedited processing.

We received our new passports today!! A total of 16 calendar days. Now that is fast processing. I think the last time we renewed our passports it took about three to four weeks to get them.

Just thought I would let all of you know how quickly they are processing passport renewal currently.

Yes, they are much quicker about processing them lately. Mine took less then 2 weeks, as did ones for some friends who sent them in weeks later and also got them back in two weeks without any expediting

Thanks for the update. My wife has to get hers renewed for a fall cruise and I've been nudging her. She got the photo done this week, so I am not expecting any issues. And by the way, she said that when she got her photo done, they were pretty rigid about the "hair must be behind at least one ear, and no smile or expression in the photo" rule. Not sure if this is universal, but she said that they did their best to make her look just like she would if she got busted.

Yes they are really quick... so quick that we had found a misspelling on one of our passports so had to send it back. All in less than 1 month!

And by the way, she said that when she got her photo done, they were pretty rigid about the "hair must be behind at least one ear, and no smile or expression in the photo" rule. Not sure if this is universal, but she said that they did their best to make her look just like she would if she got busted.

I had to get a new military ID this summer, and that's exactly what I was told, too. Horrid, horrid photo.

Thanks for the info on passport renewal. We will be sending ours in next Spring.

You can take your own photo and upload it on the state dept website to use their photo tool template to get the right size of photo and make sure your face is proportional. You can then save it to card reader. Head down to the drugstore and print out a sheet of photos for passport, visas, international driver licenses, etc... It says neutral expressions however we both smiled and there was no issues. It saves money esp if you need more than 1 set of photos + you can take as many pics as you want to get the right one.

Remember that some countries you visit want 6 months clear on your passports expiry date after the return date of your trip.;)

This is good to know. I expire in Feb of 2018. I want to try to make a trip to Cuba before I get a new passport. I am glad to hear the process is quick.

Thanks for the update. My wife has to get hers renewed for a fall cruise and I've been nudging her. She got the photo done this week, so I am not expecting any issues. And by the way, she said that when she got her photo done, they were pretty rigid about the "hair must be behind at least one ear, and no smile or expression in the photo" rule. Not sure if this is universal, but she said that they did their best to make her look just like she would if she got busted.

People on our last cruise were surprised when they saw my passport photo. I had it taken at the post office when I applied for the passport. I had a smile and nobody said a word about it when they took the picture. Also, my skin color looks very "orange" in the photo. It's really a bad picture but the passport folks used it anyway.

People on our last cruise were surprised when they saw my passport photo. I had it taken at the post office when I applied for the passport. I had a smile and nobody said a word about it when they took the picture. Also, my skin color looks very "orange" in the photo. It's really a bad picture but the passport folks used it anyway.

Oh Thrak-- You are an Oompa Loompa! I think you should share this photo with us! Come on-- we know you want to...

To those of you who will need to renew your passport sometime within the next 6 months or so, I can tell you first hand that it won't take very long to get your new passport.

 

My DW and I needed to renew our passport. We mailed the "packet" to Philadelphia Pa on July 6 2016 via USPS, requesting normal processing time. Since our next cruise is not until January 2017, there wasn't any need for expedited processing.

 

We received our new passports today!! A total of 16 calendar days. Now that is fast processing. I think the last time we renewed our passports it took about three to four weeks to get them.

 

Just thought I would let all of you know how quickly they are processing passport renewal currently.

Same here! Very quick turnaround.

Also, my skin color looks very "orange" in the photo.

You can take your own photo and upload it on the state dept website to use their photo tool template to get the right size of photo and make sure your face is proportional. You can then save it to card reader. Head down to the drugstore and print out a sheet of photos for passport, visas, international driver licenses, etc... It says neutral expressions however we both smiled and there was no issues. It saves money esp if you need more than 1 set of photos + you can take as many pics as you want to get the right one.

We paid Costco $5/4 pictures. Easy way to do it.

Hopefully ours will proceed just as quick. Dropped our renewals off a few hours ago.

Well, orange is the new white, you know. :rolleyes:

J- You did not just go there! :eek:;)

To those of you who will need to renew your passport sometime within the next 6 months or so, I can tell you first hand that it won't take very long to get your new passport.

 

My DW and I needed to renew our passport. We mailed the "packet" to Philadelphia Pa on July 6 2016 via USPS, requesting normal processing time. Since our next cruise is not until January 2017, there wasn't any need for expedited processing.

 

We received our new passports today!! A total of 16 calendar days. Now that is fast processing. I think the last time we renewed our passports it took about three to four weeks to get them.

 

Just thought I would let all of you know how quickly they are processing passport renewal currently.

Totally agree. I sent ours in on June 28th and we got them back July 18th so just 3 weeks. Our old passports arrived separately a few days later. . So unless you need them super quick, no reason to pay the extra for expedited service!

Ours did not actually expired until Nov 16, but knowing we would be cruising every month starting late August, decided to go ahead and get it done this summer b/t our late June and late August cruises.

I renewed my passport in June. I sent it in on June 6 and received it the week of the 27th. I was going to run into the 6 month rule on our November cruise. Our return date was just a couple of days less than 6 months before my passport was going to expire.

Also, be aware of the large number of people who had passports processed in 2007 and now coming up for renewal. There was a huge bubble of people who got their first passport then because of the changes of the travel rules. I was caught up in this for my renewal, and it took months to get it processed. I would hope there will be enough staff to process the renewals next year and that there won't be a repeat of 2007.

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/news/apply-now-to-avoid-delays.html

Thanks for the info on the passports renewals. I put a notation on our calendars to start the process in August expecting big delays . When we got the passports 9 years ago, they were delayed because of the overwhelming number of applications being processed under the new travel regulations.

They should all be coming due for renewal between now and the Spring.

We don't need the passports till June, but we will renew them now. :D

I renewed my passport it took less then 3 weeks. My son took the pictures and did not even charge me I saved $7.00 and we went out for lunch it cost me $60.00 :mad:

Tony

You can take your own photo and upload it on the state dept website to use their photo tool template to get the right size of photo and make sure your face is proportional.

Thanks. That is very cool.

There is an iphone app that lets you take a picture, crop is for

a passport, and then makes a picture with 6 2"x2" images.

You print 1 4x6 picture, and get 6 passport photos.

I'm sure there is the same for android.

Thanks for the info. Mine expires in November. I decided against renewing before our HAL cruise next month to Alaska but will do so as soon as we come home for a possible December cruise.

Thanks for the update. My wife has to get hers renewed for a fall cruise and I've been nudging her. She got the photo done this week, so I am not expecting any issues. And by the way, she said that when she got her photo done, they were pretty rigid about the "hair must be behind at least one ear, and no smile or expression in the photo" rule. Not sure if this is universal, but she said that they did their best to make her look just like she would if she got busted.

This may have been the requirement at some other time, but according to the State Department, a natural smile is allowed:

"Your passport photo must be:

In color

Printed on matte or glossy photo quality paper

2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) in size

Sized such that the head is between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (between 25 and 35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head. View the Photo Composition Template for more size requirement details.

Taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance

Taken in front of a plain white or off-white background

Taken in full-face view directly facing the camera

Taken with a neutral facial expression (preferred) or a natural smile, and with both eyes open'

One thing to consider is whether to select the option of getting more pages for your passport or the standard number. I chose more pages because I like to travel, but now am regretting it because the extra pages make the passport too bulky. If I had it to do over, I would opt for the smaller book and renew earlier if required.

Just type the countries you are visiting in and click!

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en.html

One thing to consider is whether to select the option of getting more pages for your passport or the standard number. I chose more pages because I like to travel, but now am regretting it because the extra pages make the passport too bulky. If I had it to do over, I would opt for the smaller book and renew earlier if required.

I have the additional pages and do not mind it is thicker. No need to spend over $100/passport to renew early if the extra pages are there.

Really no smiles? every US passport I have had a smile on my face even when I was small....my long hair was over my ears when I renewed 5 years ago. I have done several visas to several countries always smiling, never have encountered requests for straight faced photos.

L:)ri

BTW might as well pick up a few extra photos for visas if you r planning to travel where a visa is needed in the next year or so.

And also a tip for your passport, keep a paper clip on the page you want them to stamp that way you can keep more of your pages free for future visas. Some of my pages have stamps on top of others. I also write my credit card phone numbers, my luggage description, my insurance carrier number etc. on the last page of my passport.

DW's passport expires in early '17 so we jumped the gun and got it this year. Post Office photo with a smile and 13 days later, waalaah it was here! Now if we could just get a Driver's License photo to look that good.

Just Mike