Your passport is your key to the globe, opening up new horizons for travel, discovery, and cultural encounters. Additionally, renewing them is a pain in the you-know-what.
I just went through the process of renewing my passport for the first time, and it was rather stressful. I decided to take a chance and renew my passport that way because the online renewal site through MyTravelGov was open when I submitted my application in late January.
I assumed the issues would have been worked out following the initial rounds of online renewals last year. Boy, was I mistaken? My passport finally arrived about 10 days before my international trip.
I'll qualify my experience by saying that my window for renewing was extremely limited. Although my passport wouldn't expire until January 2024, I had a family vacation planned for August 2023. I, therefore, required a long time before my passport was due to expire than six months. I had the option of renewing throughout the summer, but I was concerned about a potential government shutdown in June or soon after.
I needed to renew before April 2 because I had a trip planned for that day. However, I was unable to renew before January 23 since you cannot renew a passport more than a year in advance of its expiration. Just over nine weeks remained for me to renew my passport before my vacation at the beginning of April.
Here are five things I discovered when I renewed my passport for the first time, along with some advice to make the process go more smoothly for you.
Allow for lots of breathing room
I overestimated how long it would take to renew my passport going into this process. I received an email confirming receipt of it the same day it was filed on January 29. Therefore, I foolishly assumed that it would take the anticipated three to five weeks for my passport to arrive. But my confidence waned as the days morphed into weeks, then into weeks, then into months.
I assumed we were in the same cycle because a coworker had turned in his on January 25. But when he indicated that his application status changed to "in process" barely four hours after he filed it, I started to get concerned. Even more, we compared the number of our applications. My status remained virtually constantly at "received" until it abruptly changed to "in process" on March 21.
Giving oneself at least 12 weeks, if not 15 weeks, before a foreign trip is advised. The U.S. Department of State is estimating 10 to 13 weeks for standard renewal and 7 to 9 weeks for expedited renewal at the time this article is being written. Additionally, the State Department advises renewing passports "well ahead of any planned international travel, even if it still has a few months validity left on it," according to its website. Keep in mind that some places demand that you maintain your passport's validity for at least six months after your travel dates.
Note: There are other passport offices and facilities that can handle applications relatively promptly, although making an appointment is rather challenging. I made repeated attempts to schedule one via phone, but sometimes the lines weren't even open. To even be considered for an appointment, you must also have travel scheduled within the next two weeks.
When in doubt, expedite. Always.
The fact that I expedited from the start and paid for two-day delivery was the only thing keeping me out of this whole nightmare. I didn't mention before that I was due to vacate my New York City flat on March 27 and that I would be leaving immediately after to go on business travel. The pressure was mounting.
I strongly advise expediting your passport if you're unsure whether ordinary processing will allow it to reach you in time for your trip. Although it will cost an additional $60, I believe it is worthwhile. I also advise adding the two-day shipping if your worry about timing is even greater. Again, I was rushed for time, but this will cost you about $20 more. I paid an additional $80 on top of the $130 base fee for renewal, making my final cost for the renewal $210.
Even while I am aware that this is not an option for every traveler, I doubt I would have taken this step if I hadn't had such a small window to renew my passport this year. I wouldn't have spent the additional $80 if it weren't for upcoming trip plans and a challenging expiration date.
Contact your regional representative
I decided to contact my elected representative as my application lingered in the limbo of the "received" status. Since ultimately that was part of their job, I believed the least they should have done was get in touch with the State Department on my behalf. One of my representatives was Congressman Jerry Nadler, so I went to his website and filled out a casework request form for my passport.
On March 20, I received an email from a staff member in his office stating that the State Department was "having issues due to the volume of renewal applications they received through the new online portal."
She said that in the past, the office might contact the passport agency location and ask for immediate processing, regardless of the applicant's intended departure date. Nevertheless, she responded, "The Department of State is currently only accepting congressional inquiries on cases with confirmed travel within 2 weeks."
She had two weeks to get there, I assured her, and I gave her my flight number. My flight schedule and an electronic privacy release form were also required by her, which I provided (although she later said that my release form never went through). My application's status had changed from "received" to "in process" earlier that morning, but I nevertheless gave the details in case there was a further delay. The next day, March 22, my passport was sent out.
I believe that even though it appeared that my passport's status changed to "in process" precisely when the caseworker contacted me, it was just a coincidence. Despite this, I still advise getting in touch with a local elected representative to support you in your efforts to renew because she was really helpful.
Maybe opt for a mail-in renewal
It would be preferable to continue renewing by mail as the State Department streamlines the online process. Given that the State Department halted online renewals on March 8, this may even be your only choice. According to the website, "Over 500,000 customers voluntarily submitted their applications online and tested our system during our limited release." "We anticipate releasing the improved application in its entirety across the country later this year."
I believe it could be wise to remain with mail-in renewal until the agency streamlines the process, even though the online renewal option will be accessible later this year. I was only occasionally able to access my application progress on the website I used to renew online because it was so unreliable. My coworker likewise reported frequent site crashes as a problem.
Expect delays
Unfortunately, it seems that no matter which path you pursue, passport renewals are delayed. Due to the overwhelming demand, backlogs are about to occur. Following confirmation in March and in light of the agency's impending busy season with summer travel, this delayed service is to be expected. According to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, there have been 30% to 40% more requests for passports this year compared to the same period last year.
Make sure to apply well in advance of your next trip by planning. If your passport is about to expire or your passport renewal has been delayed, don't schedule a nonrefundable trip. You could also invest in travel insurance.
In conclusion
Although it was a stressful experience, it was made better by the fact that I was aware of the procedure and tried every possible option to hasten my renewal. I had a special window of opportunity to receive my new passport, so it was fortunate that it did so just in time for my overseas trip. Given the increased demand for passports, anticipate a delay, especially during the summer. Keep your cool and be patient. I'll now go back to my slogan, Have a passport. ready to journey.
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