Online passport application processing time

I physically sent mine in for renewal in early January and received it mid-February. I would think yours certainly would be arriving soon.

The online renewal website was deluged with requests and they are now stuck in a backlog they are trying to catch up on. I believe you can't even submit online renewals right now either as they process the ones already in the queue. I have heard current processing could take up to 13 weeks so maybe yours is just 3 weeks away. Good luck.

Mine was an online renewal last November, It took about a month from day of submission until I received my new one in the mail.

Funny how often this question comes up. Also funny how folks do not recall the expiration dates of important documents like these. I let my drivers license expre twice over the last forty years.) when was the last time you used your passport? Go get it.

We'll wait.

Create an event on your phone for renewal six months out from expiration.

I share your concern. We have a trip 8 weeks out and no passport yet. I'm staying optimistic and hope they arrive. If not I certainly will call, see below, or we can cancel the trip or get to Chicago and do an in person application. This is from the online site.
Application Support After You Apply
If you have submitted your application online and have not received your passport within 14 days of planned international travel or need a foreign visa within 28 days, call 1-877-487-2778 on Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET (closed on federal holidays) for assistance. Please provide your nine-digit application locator number which should start with “95.”

I am in the same boat. I applied for online passport renewal exactly one week after you (12/29/22). I assumed there would be no movement until after Jan 3, but now 2 months later I would have expected more progress. Like you, I see that my application status still says "received," and it has been that way for nearly 2 months. The guidance on the travel.state.gov site gives an estimated timeframe for completion as 8-11 weeks.

Indeed, as of Feb 7, online passport renewal has been suspended, likely because they are inundated. I thought online renewal would be faster than applying by mail or in person, which was a bit more cumbersome because of the limited hours at my post office.

I share your concern. Our flight is May 8, and I had already decided that if there is no progress by mid-March, I will need to nudge someone. Your post lit a fire under me, so I decided to dig deeper. From the website:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/renew-online.html:
"Support for customers who renew online: Technical issues may include problems with your password, error messages and blank screens, or problems completing part of the application such as uploading a photo or paying. Call 855-865-7750 or email PPTOPR@state.gov on Mondays through Fridays 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time (closed on federal holidays)."

I called the number listed above (even though I was not having technical problems, but it seems to be the only way to speak to a live human), and staff was very helpful. Here are some highlights of my call:

1. The online status indicators are slightly different for online renewals vs. those done via mail, but you should still log on periodically to check your renewal status. It may indicate "received" for a long time, as is the case for us. Renewals by mail are not necessarily faster than online renewals (although it was for Jean, perhaps because she has earlier travel dates than we do).
2. The 8-11 weeks for routine renewals do NOT include weekends/holidays. That is obvious, of course, but he reminded me of the importance of not simply counting the weeks by calendar days. For example, even though it has been 8.5 wks (per calendar) since they received my renewal application, it has only been 40 business days. There is nothing they can do to expedite (unless you want to pay the expedited fee) until 55 days after submittal with no progress. He told me that if I see no change in status by 3/20/23, I should call back (see number above). I would encourage you to use the same strategy and timeline if you see no movement by late March.
3. They prioritize approvals by date of travel. I'm assuming you included your travel dates in your application, so they have something to key off of. He assured me that I can expect to have a renewed passport well in advance of my May 8 departure. Your travel dates are after mine, so you have even more time for this to get resolved.

I now feel a bit more reassured, and hope you do too. As a last resort, if there is no movement within a month of one's departure date, there is always the option of contacting the office of your US Senator or Congressional Rep. Their staff can often run interference with federal agencies to get things moving.

Thank you for all the responses, especially @Lynne with an e .Sounds like times have varied widely for both mail in and online requests. 🤞.

Yes, @Bogiesan, I did let the expiration slip up on me. I used it a year ago and knew it was due this December, Our trip got bumped out several weeks and that bumped me into that red zone! Will keep this thread up with my passport progress.

Submitted my renewal beginning of January and saw no movement, then received email it might not be ready for trip in late May. Upgraded and paid for expedited last week, and it's on it way to me. Worth the $80.

Kim

Wow, your stories make me very glad that I didn't wait until the end of January when I was eligible for online renewal, but rather mailed mine on Dec 27 (non-expedited) and received my new passport in the mail on January 26.

I will mention that the status of my renewal said "no status available" until 7 days before I received it in the mail, at which time it changed to "In Process." 5 days before receiving it in the mail, it finally said "Approved." So things seem to move rather quickly once it is truly "In Process."

CWsocial, re: “So things seem to move rather quickly once it is truly "In Process" …. How interestIng. Their guidance re: each stage of passport approval suggests the exact opposite! They state that the “in process” stage is often the longest. Having read that recently on the website is what had me concerned, as my renewal (and others on this thread) has been in “received” status for 8 wks. That’s what prompted me to call yesterday, knowing that I could not wait another 8 weeks! The man with whom I spoke also indicated that once it is “in process,” things move quickly.

I’ve never had to wait this long for a passport renewal.

I suspect they would have fewer anxious callers if their website had clearer, more reality-based guidance.

As the saying goes, “crazy way to run an airline!” Just trying to maintain a sense of humor….

I renewed mine via the online process this past Fall. I received my new one exactly 1 month after I did that. I can't speak about any current backlog. It was so easy and convenient to do it online.

Mine was "In process" from January 18 through February 28. And that was for expedited. Sent in the old fashioned way since I requested renewal two weeks prior to the allowed time period for online renewal.

I did get a thicker, 50 page passport and I have to wonder if that caused any delays.

We can discuss this back and forth all day as to why things happen but let's look at it realistically. It's a government office and they never make sense.

Update on my passport! @Lynn with an e I called yesterday because it was day 55 since my application was marked received. After a 45 minute wait I was transferred to someone else who was very helpful. She was very surprised to see an application pending since December! She did verify that nothing was wrong with my application and said she would put in a ticket to get the process moving. B y the way she noted that someone HAD looked at my application a few days ago. She also confirmed my early June travel date.

I just got an email that my application was being processed. The verbiage is very similar to hat you already shared:

Your Passport Application Number** XXXXXXXXX** is now being reviewed by a U.S. Department of State employee. The length of time your application is "In Process" depends on the service you selected and our current processing times. Your application may remain at this stage for the longest period of time. Thank you for your patience while we test our system during this limited release of online passport renewal.

We are currently processing routine applications in 8-11 weeks and expedited applications in 5-7 weeks from the date you submitted your application. Processing times do not include mailing times which may add several weeks on to the time it takes to receive your passport. Access your MyTravelGov account to check your application status. Click on "Manage Application" to upgrade to expedited service and 1-2 day delivery of your completed passport, or change your mailing address.

We immediately canceled your most recent passport and you cannot use it for international travel while you wait for your new passport.

Need support? If you are having technical issues, call 855-865-7750 or email PPTOPR@state.gov, Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm ET (closed federal holidays). Technical issues may include problems with your password, error messages, and blank screens. If you are traveling internationally in the next 14 days and have not received your passport, call 1-877-487-2778, Mon-Fri, 8am-10pm ET (closed federal holidays) for assistance.

Sincerely,

U.S. Department of State

Passport Services

The rep I spoke to said the 'statuses' on the website don't actually reflect where in the process you are. I sincerely hope that the processing time is shorter than the received time. Good luck to you!

Thanks so much for your update! I'm so glad you got a helpful human and I hope your passport will soon be in your hands.

Let us know when you get that lovely brown envelope, lol!!

Hurray, just got an email that my passport is in the mail! That took 12 1/2 weeks from the time I submitted. Will update once I have the passport in hand!

IT"S HERE! Finally received my passport--applied online 12/22/22. Hurray! Interesting side note--the front page is plastic with my picture in black and white and a silver iridescent frame around the bottom right corner. The facing signature page has a semi-colored photo of me. I did order the 50 page book (wishful thinking), perhaps this is the new style?

Quick update: I have finally received my passport.

BTW, I had successfully posted a more detailed passport update yesterday. Shortly after posting it, I made a small edit, then clicked “save changes.” However, my edited post completely disappeared, for reasons I do not understand. I then tried to post again via the “add reply” feature, but then saw an “oops”/error message indicating I had already posted that reply, and that I should use the “edit” feature. But, there was no way to edit a post that had disappeared. This also happened to an earlier post I later edited (different topic) a few weeks ago.

Clearly, there is something I’m not understanding about editing my posts on this forum. (Longtime lurker, but new to posting here.) If anyone can offer some technological handholding or other guidance, I’d appreciate it. You can PM me rather than clutter this thread if you prefer.
Mille grazie! Ciao a tutti!

@Lynne with an e—I saw and read your original post this morning, glad I got that full version before gremlins ate it! Also tickled you finally got your passport after following your own excellent research and advice. ,)

Hi, I am from BD and it takes about 1 month.

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