Passports: Renew or Apply Now!
Do you want to travel internationally in the next year? This is an important message for you to read and share it with others.
GOOD NEWS!
If you already have a passport, great! You can renew your passport by mail. You can also change your name if you have the appropriate documentation. Something to keep in mind however, most destinations want to see at least 6 months validity on your passport after your return date home. If your passport is going to expire in the next year, RENEW IT NOW!
BAD NEWS!
If you do NOT have a passport and want to travel internationally, APPLY NOW! You will need to apply in person as that is the only way to get a passport if you never had one before. Even children who had a passport still must apply in person once they turn 16. Also, make sure you have the legal documentation necessary to prove you are a U.S. citizen and if you don’t, please be aware that there are delays in requesting a copy of your birth certificate. As an example, I applied for a copy of my children’s birth certificates in early June and still have yet to receive them almost two months later!
The state department has also removed the ability to schedule online appointments for last minute travel. You now have to call to schedule an appointment and your travel must be within 72 hours. These appointments are EXTREMELY limited and for the most part only available for life/death emergencies or other urgent travel needs. Gone are the days when you could walk into a passport facility and get your passport renewed or expedited that same day!
WHEN?
If you apply for a new passport or passport renewal, the wait time for the routine method is 18 weeks. That is over 4 months! Even expedited requests are taking 12 weeks which is about 3 months! Add in the time it might take to request your birth certificate and that means you are not traveling out of the country this year.
For example, if you apply TODAY, the earliest you can expect your passport under the routine method will be THANKSGIVING. If you expedite your passport, it still would be OCT 17, 2021!
WHY THE DELAY?
If you renewed or got a new passport last fall/winter the wait time wasn’t as long as it is today. However, with the surge of travel interest due to the vaccines, the wait time has increased again. Additionally, there are still almost 2 million passports backlogged from the pandemic and have not been processed yet. Why is it taking so long? It is a combination of the offices being shut down during the pandemic, lack of technology (no ability to work from home) and getting enough staff hired back and trained.
BOTTOM LINE
We get so many phone calls with people wanting to travel a few months from now but, they don’t have their passports. This means they have to modify their destination or delay their trip. Take our advise and APPLY NOW if you want to travel!
HELPFUL LINKS
Very well written story. It will be supportive to anybody who utilizes it, including me. Keep doing what you are doing – for sure i will check out more posts.
You are a very clever person!
Only a smiling visitor here to share the love (:, btw great design and style. “Reading well is one of the great pleasures that solitude can afford you.” by Harold Bloom.