How to Obtain Your Passport Faster than Ever
Long a fan of international travel, blogger Claudette Rickett Schwartz, says the U.S. State Department’s online renewal of passports eases one of the biggest travel needs for consumers. In 2024, the State Department moved its passport renewal process online, something that helped reduce wait times for passports, according to USA Today.
Wait Times for Passports Drop
The USA Today story reports that before the online renewal system opened, the wait time for a renewed passport had spiked above eight weeks during the COVID-19 pandemic. By September 2024, the passport office had dropped the wait to six to eight weeks, but the online platform for renewal has helped slash those wait times to four to six weeks. To obtain an expedited form, an individual can pay a $60 fee and receive their renewed passport in two to three weeks.
Who Can Use the Online Passport Platform?
Not every passport holder can use the system. Only individuals aged 25 and older who pay their renewal fee online using a credit or debit card and upload a suitable passport photo can use the system. The State Department also offers an online form for first-time passport applicants. It allows the individual to complete their application. It asks for essential information, such as your name, address, country and state of birth, and vital statistics. If you don’t have a passport photo, you can have one taken at the passport office.
Print it to take to a passport office. Because an applicant must sign the application in the presence of a passport official, wait to sign the form until meeting with an official. They’ll direct you when to sign it. So, how does that help shorten wait times? The system assigns each applicant a barcode that prints on their application information, and that barcode helps the application move more efficiently through the system. Because the online-generated applications are typewritten instead of handwritten, they’re easier to read, helping officials process them quickly.
Where Do You Find a Passport Office?
Many U.S. post offices include a passport desk or office. Check the USPS website to find the nearest passport office in a post office. Every person must meet with a passport official face-to-face to prove their identity. This official examines your identification documents and compares them to you. The State Department provides an exhaustive list of suitable documents, but most people bring their birth certificate, driver’s license or state ID, or naturalization certificate, according to Passport Info. If you don’t have any of the primary evidence required, present secondary evidence of citizenship.
Empowering Your International Travel Plans
Set aside a couple of hours to handle the in-person meeting, but the passport form requires little time to complete. Wait for your passport to arrive in the mail. Once you obtain it, you’re ready to travel. If you have a dream of visiting other countries, apply for your passport months before your trip. Once you have it, you’ve mastered one step towards your dream, Schwartz says.