US Passport question

[Jayar]

I have a colleague who is going to renew her passport for a trip to Kenya in July. She has changed her name since her last passport. She has:

(1) Her old expired passport
(2) The name change documentation
(3) A current CA driver's license with her changed name on it

What does she need to take with her to get a renewal (she has to do it in person because her 14 year-old daughter has to get her first passport)? And should she expedite?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Aceon6]

Answered here
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/apply-renew-passport/change-correct.html

You may be eligible to renew your passport by mail using Form DS-82. If you are eligible to use Form DS-82*, please submit the following by mail:

• Form DS-82
• Your most recent U.S. passport
• Your original or certified name change document, such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order
• One color passport photo
• Adult Renewal Applicant fees or Child Applicant fees, depending on your age
• Please note: you must send Form DS-82 and supporting documents using USPS. UPS, FedEx, DHL, and other companies cannot deliver to the PO Box addresses listed on Form DS-82.

As for expedited, I'd say yes. The State Department is in peak renewal season.

 

[CaliSteve]

For a few bucks you can use a passport service. The cost depends on how fast you need your passport. They email the forms and walk you through the process and they will do the leg work. For me its worth paying a few bucks then waiting in line at the passport counter.

 

[A.H.Black]

If she does it now, she should be fine. I went to my local county clerk - which is the easiest place here. They were very pleasant, and also walked me through everything. It took less than a month. This was last fall and I was getting a new passport (actually a passport card). Use Aceon6's link - it'll help.

My only tip is to make sure the photo is very clear. My clerk mentioned that sometimes they send it back if it is at all blurry. The clerk would also be a good judge of whether or not she needs to expedite.

 

[Lizziebeth]

I went to Walgreens for the photo so I would be sure it would be OK. But, I renewed my passport by finding the forms on line and following the instructions. Form, photo, old passport and check. It was fine. Got it back in just a few weeks - -this time last year.

My travel buddy goofed up and forgot to put in a check. Instead of sending the whole thing back, they contacted her to send the check!

 

[quartz]

I had mine expedited - I had travel plans and needed it back pronto. I took everything directly to the consulate and had it back in about 10 days, well worth the extra money.

 

[sk8nlizard]

Make sure she reads the details for children. When we got my kid’s passports both parents had to be there in person, or a special form that was notarized had to be presented. Also, my youngest had her name misspelled on hers when we got it back and we had to send it back so she should get on the process ASAP!
I had my old passport with my maiden name and just turned that in with all the other paperwork when I went to get a new one.

 

[vesperholly]

AAA does passport photos for about $8.

I wouldn't spend the extra money to expedite, since she has several months to go. My first passport took about 3 weeks back in 2008 when there was a huge rush on passports because non-enhanced driver's licenses were no longer valid for returning to the US.

 

[Aceon6]

AAA does passport photos for about $8.

I wouldn't spend the extra money to expedite, since she has several months to go. My first passport took about 3 weeks back in 2008 when there was a huge rush on passports because non-enhanced driver's licenses were no longer valid for returning to the US.

There were a lot more people processing in 2008.

April is when every HS and college student and every family planning overseas travel during the summer looks at their paperwork and goes oh sh!t, I better get on this. If expedited isnt a financial strain, I recommend it.

 

[vesperholly]

There were a lot more people processing in 2008.

Right ... so wouldn't it stand to reason that a non-expedited passport might come back quicker than the 3 weeks I waited? Making expediting it not necessary for a July trip? If the trip is the first week in July, she's got 10 weeks. Airlines can update passport information after tickets are booked.

 

[MacMadame]

Right ... so wouldn't it stand to reason that a non-expedited passport might come back quicker than the 3 weeks I waited?

If less workers are working to process passports and April/Spring is a heavy season for applying for passports, I would think it would take more time to process than in 2008 not less.

 

[allezfred]

10 days for an expedited passport seems....kind of slow.

 

[Aceon6]

Right ... so wouldn't it stand to reason that a non-expedited passport might come back quicker than the 3 weeks I waited? Making expediting it not necessary for a July trip? If the trip is the first week in July, she's got 10 weeks. Airlines can update passport information after tickets are booked.

Sorry, I didn’t make myself clear. There were a lot more State Department employees processing in 2008 and the scrutiny level of renewals was different, especially for those who have traveled anywhere outside of NA and Western Europe. I’d go expedited.

 

[quartz]

10 days for an expedited passport seems....kind of slow.

If this is referring to my post, then the 10 days is because it had to go from the US consulate in Toronto, to the processing department in the states and back to me in Canada, with 2 weekends amongst those 10 days, during a national mail strike, so everyone and their dog were using courier services instead of mail, AND it was Christmas time. I was quite happy my passport didn't get lost out there in all the chaos.

 

[allezfred]

If this is referring to my post

It was. Kind of looks like the consulate is a bit redundant?

 

[quartz]

It was. Kind of looks like the consulate is a bit redundant?

The only allowable way to send documents in for a passport renewal from Canada to the U.S. is through Canada Post which was on strike. So in order to get my documents to the passport processing department in the states I had to deliver them to a U.S. consulate - so not redundant at all.

 

[ballettmaus]

10 days for an expedited passport seems....kind of slow.

If the normal processing time is said to be 6 weeks (which is what they told my dad), it's not

A colleague of my mom's had it expedited and got it back in a week.

 

[allezfred]

The only allowable way to send documents in for a passport renewal from Canada to the U.S. is through Canada Post which was on strike. So in order to get my documents to the passport processing department in the states I had to deliver them to a U.S. consulate - so not redundant at all.

Ah, I see. From your previous post, it looked like applying via the consulate was part of the regular process.

Still kind of wondering what the point of having an embassy/consulate in a country is for if they can't issue you a new passport directly.

 

[quartz]

I know, it would be a more stream-lined process if they could issue the passports right from the consulate, but hoop jumping is the way it is for now.

 

[skategal]

Expedited for Canadian passport renewals in Canada is 3 days or less (one fee) or 24 hours (higher fee.)

IIRC, regular processing time is two weeks or less.

They have an amazing service.

 

[Erin]

10 days for an expedited passport seems....kind of slow.

Yeah my last expedited passport was done in under 48 hours in Canada. That said, I believe it could still be up to 10 days for an expedited passport in Canada because they will base the day they do your passport on when you are traveling and only do an expedited one if you are traveling within 10 days and they will always do delivery the day before you travel. Since I had decided to do my renewal when I was in Canada rather than mail mine off, I had a quick turnaround but if I lived there and my trip was further away, they would have taken longer or just refused to do the expedited passport.

Still kind of wondering what the point of having an embassy/consulate in a country is for if they can't issue you a new passport directly.

It works the same way for Canadians in the US and it’s super stupid. If I was from any other country or lived in any other country I could go to a consulate but because I’m from Canada and live in the US, I have to mail it back to Canada. Makes no sense. For me, I travel so much that I would rather just do it while I am in Canada because I don’t want to be without my passport that long.

 

[Jayar]

Thanks everyone! She got her renewal approved today thanks to all of the help here!

 

[vesperholly]

If less workers are working to process passports and April/Spring is a heavy season for applying for passports, I would think it would take more time to process than in 2008 not less.

Oh, I get it now. Fewer workers are there processing passports.