How Long Do U.S. Passport Renewals Take to Process?
You may choose to elect routine service or expedited service in renewing your U.S. Passport. However, the U.S. Department of State charges an additional fee for expedited service. According to the U.S. Department of State, the time that it takes for U.S. Passport renewals to be processed is as follows:
- Routine Service: As of May 19, 2009, routine renewal applications take approximately 4 – 6 weeks from the time of the application.
- Expedited Service: As of May 19, 2009, expedited renewal applications take approximately 2 – 3 weeks from the time of the application.
Passport processing is considered complete when the passport is ready to be picked up by the applicant or when it is put in the mail to the applicant.
NOTE: Customers who apply for a renewal by mail must clearly mark "Expedite" on the outside of the mailing envelope, for the Expedited Passport Processing times to accurately apply. Please go the U.S. Department of State’s website for the most up-to-date processing times. You can find this information at:
www.travel.state.gov/passport/get/processing. Once you apply for your renewal, you may check the status of you applications online at:
www.travel.state.gov/passport/get/status.
Next, we’ll go over the requirements for submitting your U.S. Passport photographs.