# Renewing Passport Questions. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 18, 2020, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906 "2020-06-18T14:10:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2023, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/21 "2023-07-03T20:18:29Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > And the government is blaming the problems on Covid. Canada managed to get past this problem a year ago. Turnaround time is 10 business days for in person, 20 days for mail. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Yeah…you cannot travel on a passport that expires in less than six months. I’ve known a few people who were surprised by that at the airport. This is not true, it’s a rule of thumb. For example, as a Canadian travel to the UK or the US requires a passport valid for the duration of the trip. Travel to the Schengen zone of the EU needs 3 months post departure. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2023, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/22 "2023-07-03T20:27:42Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > This kind of stuff mystifies me. One would think the Department of State has really good data on the amount of passports they need to process per month. They can then decide how many people they need to hire to meet this need and calculate how much they need to charge per passport to cover that cost. > > Instead, they choose to run perpetual backlogs of people trying to get a passport. I don’t get it. Budget. How many $$ have they been allocated by Congress? That determines the level of service a government agency gives. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2023, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/23 "2023-07-03T20:28:56Z")
> **Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six months beyond the dates of your trip**. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met. - [SOURCE](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/passport-help/faqs.html) (Answer #17) Want to take that chance at the airport two hours before your flight? Go for it. You (general “you”) are asking for a lot of problems if you try. Not something you want two hours before your dream vacation. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2023, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/24 "2023-07-03T20:32:25Z")
> [@FinsToTheLeft](#): > > > [@PastTense](#): > > > > And the government is blaming the problems on Covid. > > Canada managed to get past this problem a year ago. Turnaround time is 10 business days for in person, 20 days for mail. I believe that almost all passports in the US are processed at one location in New Hampshire. I wonder if that’s the problem. Do other countries like Canada have multiple locations to process applications and generate passports? ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2023, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/25 "2023-07-03T20:45:25Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Do other countries like Canada have multiple locations to process applications and generate passports? Yes they do. In person applications are done locally, mail in are regional. I just sent my daughter’s application in about 2 weeks ago and it is being processed in Gatineau, Quebec. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2023, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/26 "2023-07-03T20:50:28Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Want to take that chance at the airport two hours before your flight? Am I? No, because I am quite anal about checking the requirements. For example, many people are unaware that as of next year, visits to most of the EU (Schengen zone) will require an electronic travel authorization similar to the ESTA most visitors to the US that are visa-exempt still require. > **[ETIAS](https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en)** > > Official EU website on ETIAS, the new travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers to enter 30 European countries. Applications should be filled in this website from mid-2025. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/27 "2023-07-04T01:42:57Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I believe that almost all passports in the US are processed at one location in New Hampshire. I don’t think that’s true. There are dozens of offices all over the US. > **[Passport Agencies Near You | Passport Offices](https://www.passportsandvisas.com/passport-agencies)** > > Passport Agency Near You and Passport Office Information. You can apply for a passport in a hurry in personal at one of these regional passport agencies and passport offices. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/28 "2023-07-04T01:45:18Z")
Offices, yes, but I believe almost all passports are actually produced at that one location. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/29 "2023-07-04T14:56:15Z")
> [@FinsToTheLeft](#): > > Turnaround time is 10 business days I live in South Africa, whose postal service is hardly a paragon of efficiency, but my UK passport renewal took a mind boggling 10 days - I had to send a bunch of docs as my passport had expired - so given 2 days to get it to London and back, HMPO managed to decide I was OK and print and issue a passport in just 6 days. Not even business days. My RSA passport needs renewal, I am expecting 1 month being promised but resigned to the reality that it will probably take 3 months. My Zimbabwean passport expired about 20 years ago, but the renewal period is a bit longer… I am waiting for regime change for that application to succeed. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/30 "2023-07-04T15:18:57Z")
My wife and I just renewed our passports, the wait was not near as long as being reported. We sent the renewals in on April 14th, my wife got hers on May 24, I got mine on June 5th. We just sent in our renewals for the TSA precheck, not sure how long those will take. We are not traveling by plane till next June when we go to Kenya for a photo safari. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I believe that almost all passports in the US are processed at one location in New Hampshire. We sent our renewals to Philadelphia, the new passports arrived with the same location on the return address. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/31 "2023-07-04T15:56:49Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > We sent our renewals to Philadelphia, the new passports arrived with the same location on the return address. There are two addresses on the form - Philadelphia and Iriving TX. > **[ds82.pdf](https://eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds82.pdf)** > > 1279.31 KB ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/32 "2023-07-04T15:59:10Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > We just sent in our renewals for the TSA precheck, not sure how long those will take. That should be pretty quick - I renewed on line and got the email confirming the renewal the same day. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/33 "2023-07-04T19:13:57Z")
My passport is received and in process. Based on the website, I’ll have it by October. I didn’t expedite but did pay for 2-day return. I super-duper don’t like being trapped in the US until it’s returned. I applied for NEXUS half a year before my Global Entry/TSA Pre is to expire. Turns out you can’t apply for both simultaneously, and must wait until you have conditional approval for one before applying for the other, or sacrifice your fee and start over. I applied on 1 February, at which time 3-4 months was predicted for conditional approval. It’s 5 months later with no progress. My GE/pre expires at the end of this month. If I’d applied in the reverse order, I could show evidence of this and extend my use of the GE for up to 2 years. Now, though, it appears it will expire before I can submit my renewal, which means I lose my GE and my pre. Maddening! ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/34 "2023-07-04T20:00:26Z")
I’ve often wondered how people that travel all the time manage their passport renewals. Since you have to send the old one in, what do they do, just stop traveling? I know that you can visit an agency but those appointments can be difficult to get. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/35 "2023-07-04T20:36:21Z")
In my town, passport applications are handled by the Post Office. I don’t know what the current rules are, but last time I renewed, you had the option of bringing in your own photograph. I wish I had done so. Postal clerks are even worse photographers than DMV clerks. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/36 "2023-07-04T20:45:54Z")
You pay to expedite and possibly use an agency. Also, it shouldn’t take 13 weeks, but there you have it. ETA: Department of State says: > Our [passport agencies and centers](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/passport-agencies.html#Map%20of%20Passport%20Office%20Locations) process routine and expedited applications, and are open by appointment only for customers who have urgent international travel within 14 calendar days or need a foreign visa within 28 calendar days. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/37 "2023-07-04T21:37:23Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > I’ve often wondered how people that travel all the time manage their passport renewals. As others noted, it’s typically not a long wait. And expedited processing has been a always been an option. I’ve had visas (not a passport, but similar issues) turned around in less than a week when needed. My company paid an agency to walk it through the process. > [@mbh](#): > > In my town, passport applications are handled by the Post Office. You can use a PO to put your application together, but they don’t process anything there. It all gets sent out. And I’m pretty sure you could always bring in your own photos. I never had them take it in the PO. But now, it’s just as easy to do everything at home. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/38 "2023-07-04T21:39:44Z")
It’s currently 13 week wait according to Dept. of State, plus up to 4 more weeks if you don’t pay for 2-day shipping. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/39 "2023-07-04T21:44:16Z")
You can expited the process by making an appointment in person at the office, or hiring an agency to do so. That should be completed in less than 2 weeks. This is what people who need to travel immediately do. My brother is doing this for his kids right now for a summer trip. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906/40 "2023-07-04T21:44:58Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > You can use a PO to put your application together, but they don’t process anything there. It all gets sent out. And I’m pretty sure you could always bring in your own photos. I never had them take it in the PO. But now, it’s just as easy to do everything at home. The last time I renewed my passport, I had the photos taken at a Fedex Office location. There are very specific requirements for the passport photos and they had a camera designed for the purpose. I suspect the post office has a similar camera. I think it was under ten bucks for the photo. My mother needs to renew her passport and I think she was going to go to the local AAA location, as it’s free there for members. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-passport-questions/855906.md?page=3)