Apply for Your U.S. Passport Now, Before the Busy Winter Travel Season

If you’re traveling internationally for the winter holidays, now is the time to apply for your U.S. passport. The Department is offering faster processing times than the summer, and hundreds of passport acceptance facilities are expanding their hours.

During November and December, the time commitment for routine passport service is 4-5 weeks and expedite service is 2-3 weeks. Expedite service at a passport agency is 5 business days. Expedite service costs an additional $60.

As a special service to the American public, hundreds of acceptance facilities across the country are also expanding their hours in November and December. If you cannot find an acceptance facility on this special list, visit our Where to Apply page for a complete list of ALL facilities across the country. If you are traveling in more than 2 weeks and are applying for the first time, you should visit an acceptance facility such as a clerk of court, library, or post office. If you already have had a U.S. passport, you may be eligible to renew your passport by mail.

If you’re traveling in less than 2 weeks, or you need a new U.S. passport for a foreign visa within 4 weeks, you should apply at the National Passport Center. You can make an appointment at the agency by calling the National Passport Information Center toll-free at 1-877-487-2778 or TDD/TDY at 1-888-874-7793. Customers must pay the $60 expedite fee and must provide a travel itinerary when applying at a passport agency.

Knowing your passport expiration date may help you avoid costly travel delays. Some countries will not allow you to enter if your passport expires in less than six months. Learn more by reviewing the Country Specific Information for the country you intend to visit.

For information on applying for a U.S. passport, forms, fees, and processing times, please visit Travel.State.Gov.

Submitted by the National Passport Center in Portsmouth.