Current passport issue turnaround time

[zzdoug]

Data point:

My wife and I applied August 4, expedited, extra fees for Express Mail both ways, listed our departure from the U.S. on October 10.

 

We received both passports this past Thursday September 9. So, about 5 weeks.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We applied for expedited after the fact, July 9.  Expedited was approved about a week ago and we got our passports yesterday.

 

For anyone who recently renewed your passport and also have Global Entry:  We tried to update our GE account yesterday when the new passports were received.  Both of us got error messages that it could not be updated on line, we had to go to an interview site.  I did some googling and found a recent article from someone who ran into the same problem.  He said he just quit trying but went back about a month later and was able to update the passport info on line with GE.  Apparently it takes a while for the system to recognize the new passport # & dates.

 

Quote

[CHEZMARYLOU]

On 8/28/2021 at 6:08 PM, silvercrikhix said:

Can any of you who recently received your passport returned to you, recall if the envelope indicted not being able to be forwarded?  I’m asking because my DS’s needs to be renewed but we are in 2 different states every 6 mo. With such varied turn around times I don’t want it returned to sender and making a big muckety mess of it all. Thanks in advance. 

We just got ours yesterday and there is nothing on the envelope indicating it cannot be forwarded.  This was priority mail express.

[zzdoug]

5 hours ago, zzdoug said:

Data point:

My wife and I applied August 4, expedited, extra fees for Express Mail both ways, listed our departure from the U.S. on October 10.

 

We received both passports this past Thursday September 9. So, about 5 weeks.

To clarify, ours were renewals. We had one of the last appointments available for general renewals before they changed the policy to prevent appointment abuse. the clerk didn't really do anything that we couldn't have done ourselves, had we carefully followed directions. However she did review the applications and noticed that we printed it out double sided, so she made copies for us. I hadn't even realized I printed it double sided, which would have wasted several weeks.

[krizie]

I applied for my first passport book at the Post Office on August 19th.

 

Received it in the mail less than a month later. I didn't pay to expedite anything. 

 

My passport card took maybe an additional week to arrive. 

[Smokeyham]

On 9/11/2021 at 12:23 PM, CHEZMARYLOU said:

We applied for expedited after the fact, July 9.  Expedited was approved about a week ago and we got our passports yesterday.

 

For anyone who recently renewed your passport and also have Global Entry:  We tried to update our GE account yesterday when the new passports were received.  Both of us got error messages that it could not be updated on line, we had to go to an interview site.  I did some googling and found a recent article from someone who ran into the same problem.  He said he just quit trying but went back about a month later and was able to update the passport info on line with GE.  Apparently it takes a while for the system to recognize the new passport # & dates.

 

Quote

I sent mine in on August 26 using the expedited service and received the new one about four weeks later.

 

I had the same problem with Global Entry.  The passport was issued on Sept 27 and I am trying to update it in GE on Oct 5 but it will not accept the update and says I should visit a GE enrollment center.  I will make a note to go back in a month or so and try again.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

22 minutes ago, Smokeyham said:

I sent mine in on August 26 using the expedited service and received the new one about four weeks later.

 

I had the same problem with Global Entry.  The passport was issued on Sept 27 and I am trying to update it in GE on Oct 5 but it will not accept the update and says I should visit a GE enrollment center.  I will make a note to go back in a month or so and try again.

I still cannot update ours.  I called the GE office at Pittsburgh and they have expanded their hours so we should be able to do it before we fly to Florida.

[cruises42]

Did everyone just mail the renewal in normal mail or some type of certified or registered mail. We are not doing expedited service.

[urbanhawk]

56 minutes ago, cruises42 said:

Did everyone just mail the renewal in normal mail or some type of certified or registered mail. We are not doing expedited service.

I did not do the expedited service, and my renewed one was returned by regular mail. It took an additional 5 weeks to get my original one mailed back. just a regular envelope/ regular mail.

[cruises42]

15 minutes ago, urbanhawk said:

I did not do the expedited service, and my renewed one was returned by regular mail. It took an additional 5 weeks to get my original one mailed back. just a regular envelope/ regular mail.

Did you mail it regular mail?

[kelkel2]

I sent my whole family of 4’s applications in back in June. My husband and I were expired renewals. We still don’t have ours back. But the kids, they have theirs. They got them in August. I was really surprised theirs came so quickly. The lady who processed our applications told us to not

expect them before Halloween, I’ll be happy to get them by Thanksgiving. I’m really glad we applied when we did. We’re not cruising until 1/2023 but I do not want to be stressed and waiting for them! 

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Global Entry Update.  I was able to update our GE passport number on line today for passports that were issued September 7. I tried last week at the 30 day mark and it did not work.

[capriccio]

On 10/11/2021 at 9:42 PM, cruises42 said:

Did you mail it regular mail?

 

I renewed my passport last February and took advice I had read here about renewals were there is no immediate need for the new passport and therefore no need for expedited service:  mail the passport regular mail and pay the approximately $4 (can't remember the exact amount) to send it certified.  Then you can track the passport's journey on-line from dropping it off at the post office to it being officially received by the State Department.  Once I knew they had received it, I kept checking the status of the State Department's website.  I had my new passport and my expired passport back within less than 5 weeks (the new passport arrived a day ahead of the expired passport).

[CruiserLucas]

We were also very lucky to get faster service than we expected - about three weeks from end of May to mid-June. I paid for expedited, but wasn't expecting it THAT fast. Also wasn't expecting mine any quicker because I lost my previous passport and had to report it, so I didn't know what that would do to the process. I don't think it really affected it too much, though, as I just submitted the same first-time/new-issue documents my SO submitted. 

I was relieved to find my lost passport in a moving box I missed, though! At least for the sake of having my past travel visas and stamps as mementos.

[urbanhawk]

On 10/11/2021 at 6:42 PM, cruises42 said:

Did you mail it regular mail?

Yes, regular mail, but as  "Cap" mentioned, I did use certified mail, so I could track it being delivered.

[cruises42]

4 hours ago, urbanhawk said:

Yes, regular mail, but as  "Cap" mentioned, I did use certified mail, so I could track it being delivered.

I mailed ours yesterday and sent it Priority mail.

[cruisingguy007]

They received ours on August 4 and they were just approved and it says we should have them around Monday or Tuesday. So around 10 weeks total without expedited. They have also updated their site on the passport status and have shorten the turn around times now. The only issue I have is that one of my kids is showing up as "status not available", which is frustrating because it was previously processing. Hopefully, all passports show up over the next few business days. 

[Z'Loth]

My mother submitted her passport for renewal on July 7th under standard service. The new passport arrived on October 17th. 

[MississippiMom]

On 10/17/2021 at 4:03 AM, Z'Loth said:

My mother submitted her passport for renewal on July 7th under standard service. The new passport arrived on October 17th. 

Our time frame was similar.  Mailed two in for renewal on July 14th and received on October 18th. The most frustrating part is that we used the US Mail’s 2-day express mail to send it, for tracking purposes, and they never scanned the package locally or at delivery at the Passport Processing Center.  We submitted a claim for the Postal Service to look for it and got an “Oops, we don’t know where your package is at” type reply.  

[kelkel2]

Here’s a summary of our experience. we live in Illinois, applied in Mid June.

we did 2 brand new applications for our kids, they came in about a month’s time. Ours were renewals from expedited passports. Ours just came back yesterday. So, right about 4 months. We still haven’t received the old passports back yet. I’m not sure why the kids’ were so quick, unless the children’s are processed differently though a separate facility. 

[cruises42]

3 weeks!! Mailed my passport on Oct. 13 (priority). They received it on the 15th, got it back today.

Did not expedite or have them mail it back priority.

[Shmoo here]

My son mailed his renewal in Oct 20 (non-expedited) and received his new passport Nov 10.  But he hasn't received his old passport back yet.

[Shmoo here]

On 11/12/2021 at 10:31 AM, Shmoo here said:

My son mailed his renewal in Oct 20 (non-expedited) and received his new passport Nov 10.  But he hasn't received his old passport back yet.

Just adding, he got his old passport back yesterday (Nov 12).

[Missymo]

Put in for renewal beginning of June , thinking it will be returned before the rush back to traveling.  In the meantime I was offered a trip to Nassau over the July 4 weekend. .   Called the passport office and explained I needed the passport by July 2 who said it could be done. .  Paid the expedited price, but received my passport July 5. 

[Lois R]

I sent mine in TODAY and paid the 60.00 extra for expedited processing. I will be checking constantly until I get it back...........next time I fly overseas is March 30th.