U.S. Passport Application Process
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How Long Will It Take to Receive the U.S. Passport?
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You may elect to go with (1) routine service or (2) expedited service. Routine service generally takes approximately 4-6 weeks from the time of application. Expedited service (which includes overnight delivery to and from the Passport Agency) generally takes about 2-3 weeks and also includes an additional fee.

Acceptable Methods of Payment


When applying at a Passport Agency, you may generally submit payment using one of the following:
  • Credit Cards (VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover)
  • Debit/Check Cards
  • Checks (personal, certified, cashiers', travelers')
  • Money Orders (U.S. Postal, international, currency exchange)
  • Bank Drafts
When applying at an Acceptance Facility, you may generally submit payment using one of the following:
  • Personal checks, money orders, and bank drafts at all locations
  • Exact cash at some locations
Note: You may want to call the Passport Agency or Acceptance Facility in advance to find out the methods of payment that it accepts.

When applying for a U.S. passport from outside of the United States, you should check with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for guidance on how to apply. U.S. Embassies and Consulates generally accept the foreign currency equivalent to the U.S. Dollar ($) amounts listed for applying in the United States.

Next, we’ll go over how you can check on the processing of your U.S. Passport application.