Getting a passport nowadays is crazy, y’all. How crazy? Well, Joe and I are going on a Virgin Voyages cruise in February 2024. My passport expires in June 2024 and it’s supposed to have at least 6 months left on it in order to be allowed to board the ship (well, sorta). So I’d need to get it renewed before the cruise. I sent it out this week, to make sure I have PLENTY of time.
The State Dep’t is currently estimating 10-13 weeks processing time for passports (or 7-9 weeks if you get expedited service for an extra $60). I got expedited service and have just shy 7 months…I should (fingers crossed) be OK.
Some people though, sent in the application months ago and still haven’t received it back. For some, it means they have to reschedule or cancel their overseas travel entirely. Last week NPR focused on 2 people who canceled their plans:
- Dakotah H. from Virginia Beach, VA, missed out on seeing her deployed husband in June, even though she sent her expedited passport application in 4 months ago. She’s been able to change her plans to now meet him in the Mediterranean in mid-July. She has her fingers crossed that her passport will show up in time. Otherwise, she won’t be able to see him until he returns from his deployment at the end of the year.
- Keisha P. from MD, was supposed to go to the Bahamas with her daughter. She sent her daughter’s applications in March. In late June, she learned that she was missing some paperwork. After submitting the proper documents, Peterson in early July that the department made a mistake about which documents they needed. She’s looking to see if she can get a voucher or credit for their flights.
Of course, if you have imminent travel plans, you can get an emergency passport. But facilities that can issue those are few and far between, and you have to have the means and time to get there before your travel dates.
A TikToker named Carissa documented the lengths her boyfriend, Landon, took THE DAY BEFORE their trip to Europe, when his passport still hadn’t arrived. The video shows when she’s dropping him off at the airport:
@carissapars
“Dropping off my boyfriend to the airport so he can fly to Atlanta to get his passport at the passport agency @8am tmr that he applied for in March but had not received it yet,” the narrative says. “We leave for Italy tomorrow at 7:40pm, just to catch a flight from ATL to TPA @1pm tomorrow and get on our international 12 hour flight to have a European summer with my family.”
We don’t know why he waited until the day before their trip; emergency passports can be issued with “as much” as 2 weeks. We also don’t know if or why they didn’t try to contact his congressperson to help. But this is what he did. And did it work?
Nope.
@carissapars HERE IS FINALLY THE UPDATE… sorry ive been traveling all day and ill keep giving yall updates! Come back to see some itsly content😊🇮🇹🫶🏻
Carissa explained in another clip that Landon wasn’t able to make it in time. The passport agency in Atlanta wasn’t able to get him his passport until 3pm, and their flight from ATL (to TPA and then on to Italy), was at 1pm. He eventually joined the family vacation a few days late.
The State Department is in the midst of hiring more staff and authorizing more overtime so they can keep up with the demand (and hopefully work on the backlog). The department, which has offered on-again-off-again website access (it’s currently off-again. I tried) for passport renewals, hopes to have the website up, full-time, by the end of the year. The online option is expected to help process about a quarter of applications.
Until then, they’re now recommending you send in your passport application/renewal SIX MONTHS ahead of when you plan to need it.
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.