Passport Panic?

It took us 4+ weeks to renew our passports using the expedited mail-in service (normally a 2 week cycle). We submitted the paperwork February. The weird part was that our check was not processed until after we received the passports.

I just checked the US Dept. of State web site and it's listing 10 weeks as the expected delivery time. I'd give it another week and then try calling if you haven't received them.

We're in the same boat -- but we leave the 1st week of JUNE! Its been 11 weeks, and I'm getting on the phone tomorrow. I received an email when I posted a request at 10 weeks -- and got the standard 10 week reply.

The best way to get this resolved FAST is to call your local US House Representative's district office. Since they have only a 2 year term, they are always very response to any constituant problems. Really, this will get amazing action.

Good News! I think it is that special Rick Steves magic as soon as I posted my panic question the passport arrived in the mail.

Thanks to those who replied. I hope you get your situations resolved as easily as ours.

I did a happy dance and now feel like we are really going:)

For those of you in this situation, call your Congressman or Congresswoman!

Almost all of them have set up teams to deal with the incompetency of the US Passport agency. Generally they can actually get the agency to DO something. Call daily. (Remember you pay thier salary, it's their job to provide you service)

I was in the same situation. My fiancee and I applied in early January are we are leaving late May. By May 1st we still hadn't received the passports so we called the passport office (they are open until midnight Eastern time weekdays and have short hours on the weekend) and told them that we needed them to confirm our airline tickets. They sent an email to the office they were at and I received mine 3 days later but my fiancee's took an extra week.

It took 12 weeks for my passport to arrive. At 10 weeks, I sent an email request and recieved a reply that it was still being processed. I tried to call, but never got through. When the passport is sent, the status will be updated on the website that it has been sent with a confirmation number for USPS. We are still waiting on my husbands, it was sent a week after mine. Good luck and safe travels!

I am in the same boat. Applied 10 weeks ago today and I leave this coming Sunday! Yikes!

Do not believe the 10 week stuff the passport service is telling you. Not true...

I did finally get through on the phone and the (very friendly) woman put an automatic expedite on it with free overnight shipping, though I wish I had done expedite from the beginning. Still uncertain if I'll get it in time.

Note about the phone system at the passport service. As soon as you hear that all lines are busy, hit 9 to go back to the main menu. As soon as the guy starts talking, hit 3, then 1... Keep doing that in a loop. Eventually, you'll get a different sounding guy's voice and then you're in the queue to have your call actually answered. Don't give up. It took me 20 minutes but I got through....

Call the nearest (Seattle?) office for Senator Murray or Senator Cantwell. They have a direct line to help you.

There doesn't seem to be any consistence in wait times- we applied during Easter Week and just got our passports yesterday. Good luck and enjoy your trip!

Mine came in 11 weeks, but my kids took almost 14 weeks. I will say that my Congressmen's office did a great job of getting on things once I got them involved. They indicated that they were taking up to 50 calls per day on this subject.

Everyone should plan on at least 16 weeks to get a passport - that is if the application doesn't get lost as my wife's has.

Please read the great insider tips (and horror stories) here:

http://whirledview.typepad.com/whirledview/2007/05/the_erratic_sta.html

We almost missed a vacation due to this. It took 13 weeks to receive my boyfriend's passport - a week too late for our trip. Luckily we were only going to Canada and could change our plans and go in by ferry instead of seaplane.
He started calling two weeks before our trip - as they specified and although they made several promises, they never came through. He also called Dianne Feinstein's office a week before our trip and they tried to help, but no luck.
He also tried to get an 'emergency' passport - but the closest appointment was 3 weeks away!!
I hope you have better luck than we did, it is a truly frustrating experience.

WOW, say what you want about NJ, but we recently applied for passports and received them in 4 weeks without expediting. One of these was a renewal and one was new. I have friends who are honeymooning in July, they applied in March and received in April. Good luck guys!

The passport agency's website still tells me that they can't find my application - and I just received TWO passports in the mail.

I hadn't received my passport by the time I needed it to sumbit for a visa, so the agency told me to go downtown and re-apply (and that they would refund my original passport application fee when my original passport application was found).

However, lo and behold, I get two passports in the mail AND they charged me twice!

The incompetence is simply astounding.

We applied for a passport in Feb and just got it yesterday. (monday) Son is leaving on Thursday. So we were going nuts....