Has anyone been to an actual passport center to get expedited passport?

[lmhall2000]

I am frugal to a fault...it is time to renew our children's passports. My two oldest are both over 16 so their renewal will be the 10 year passport. Our youngest will be 16 2 weeks before we travel. I hate to go through the documentation and application process and cost, just to have it only last 5 years if she's not 16. I am thinking of going to Atlanta on her 16th birthday to pay for an expedited passport...google searches show it will be at our home in 5 days. Anyone have experience with this? I'm imagining the office in Atlanta could be a madhouse, but it's the closest one to us.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I am frugal to a fault...it is time to renew our children's passports. My two oldest are both over 16 so their renewal will be the 10 year passport. Our youngest will be 16 2 weeks before we travel. I hate to go through the documentation and application process and cost, just to have it only last 5 years if she's not 16. I am thinking of going to Atlanta on her 16th birthday to pay for an expedited passport...google searches show it will be at our home in 5 days. Anyone have experience with this? I'm imagining the office in Atlanta could be a madhouse, but it's the closest one to us.

I know you do need to show immediate travel plans to get the expedited passport. And it's usually processed in one day. Sometimes you may have to return the next morning to pick it up.

Question - minor passport is $95, adult passport is $140 plus $60 expedited fee.

So, you'd be paying $235 for 15 years of coverage (minor for 5 years and then the adult one for 10 years). OR $200 for 10 years of coverage (just the adult passport & expedited fee.) Seems to me that $35.00 for that extra 5 years is a better buy.

 

[TPBChick]

A friend of mine did not realize that her daughter's passport was expired until the day of her trip. The passport office in Washington DC was able to renew her passport the very same day. I am not sure if this is typical. I personally would be a little nervous but that is just me.

 

[lmhall2000]

I know you do need to show immediate travel plans to get the expedited passport. And it's usually processed in one day. Sometimes you may have to return the next morning to pick it up.

Question - minor passport is $95, adult passport is $140 plus $60 expedited fee.

So, you'd be paying $235 for 15 years of coverage (minor for 5 years and then the adult one for 10 years). OR $200 for 10 years of coverage (just the adult passport & expedited fee.) Seems to me that $35.00 for that extra 5 years is a better buy.

I thought renewing a passport was less?

 

[lmhall2000]

Just found it, if we renew now it's $95 + $25 and when she would have to renew again in 5 years it would also be $140 + $25...likely fees will go up in five years. So for 15 years, it would be $285...but we could go into the passport facility and not do expedited (asking) and pay her $140 now, then $110 in 10 years and get 20 years for $250...there is no $25 processing fee for renewals of adult passports. Might have to pay $25 to renew her passport, not clear on that, since she already has one. It's just a huge hassle to do all the paperwork and in 10 years, who knows where all the required papers will be...I have lost her birth certificate two times in our 9 moves...sigh.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I thought renewing a passport was less?

No, well, sort of. A passport costs $110. The first time issue has an additional $25.00 fee. Renewals just cost the $110.

And I had the costs wrong, I was looking at the cost of the passport book & card.

Adult passport book is $110 plus $25 processing fee. $135.

Minor passport book is $80 plus $25. processing fee. $105.

So, let's see. Minor book + adult book = $240 (15 years)
Adult book + expedited fee ($60.00) = $195 (10 years)

Difference - $45.00 for 5 extra years.

 

[lanejudy]

...but we could go into the passport facility and not do expedited (asking) and pay her $140 now...

I believe you will have to pay the $60 expedite fee if you walk in after her birthday and before your cruise. Even if you aren't requesting expedited service, to walk in at any Passport Agency requires the fee. We live 1 mile from a Passport Agency, but had to go to the local post office to avoid paying the expedite fee.

Personally, I'd get her the minor passport now and deal with getting the adult one in 5 years. You don't indicate how far you are from Atlanta, but the time and effort involved has "cost" as well. And you could end up having to wait there all day while they process it.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[lmhall2000]

I believe renewals should be half off is anyone buying the card? Is there an advantage to having it other than travel to Canada/Mexico? Not sure how that works? I may call the office tomorrow and see if I can go into the office and not pay the expedited...someone said that they went in to a center and received their passport in 5 days by mail but it was not expedited...maybe if I explain the situation they'll allow me to come in...I really am not that concerned about having the actual passport in hand, as long as I have her expired one or photocopies it would be easy to use in case someone has a medical emergency..just want her to have a longer passport this go round..it'll hit right in the midst of her college days for renewal and she does want to do foreign travel for other things...thanks!!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I believe renewals should be half off is anyone buying the card? Is there an advantage to having it other than travel to Canada/Mexico? Not sure how that works? I may call the office tomorrow and see if I can go into the office and not pay the expedited...someone said that they went in to a center and received their passport in 5 days by mail but it was not expedited...maybe if I explain the situation they'll allow me to come in...I really am not that concerned about having the actual passport in hand, as long as I have her expired one or photocopies it would be easy to use in case someone has a medical emergency..just want her to have a longer passport this go round..it'll hit right in the midst of her college days for renewal and she does want to do foreign travel for other things...thanks!!

IMO there's no advantage to having the passport card. Unless you are frequent Canada or Mexico border crossers. You can't fly with it, if necessary, as it's only good for land and sea border crossings.

 

[dismomtfj]

I am a Senior Executive Assistant. I took my boss to get his passport replaced at the Houston Office. I got through to a human being to make his appointment the next business day since the system said there were none available. We arrived slightly ahead of time but were not allowed in without an appointment and others who were very early were asked to come back. Since he was scheduled to be in China by the end of the week (bring a ticketed itinerary with you) and all his other paperwork was in order, we were able to get a same day passport. The application portion took about 90 minutes. I returned later in the day and picked up the passport. I believe they had me come back at around 4 but it was not ready until about 4:30. All in all it wasn't bad. I lost about a day worth of work though and entertaining kids (and schlepping them around downtown) would not be fun. For that alone, I paid a few extra $$ for an expeditor to get my family's passports renewed.

 

[bumbershoot]

So, you'd be paying $235 for 15 years of coverage (minor for 5 years and then the adult one for 10 years). OR $200 for 10 years of coverage (just the adult passport & expedited fee.) Seems to me that $35.00 for that extra 5 years is a better buy.

I think you updated your actual prices later, but even more importantly, in 5 years the daughter will be nearly 21 and SHE can be the one paying for the passport. Even cheaper for the parents.

I thought renewing a passport was less?

There's no such thing as renewing a minor's passport. It can feel like renewing, but it's not. It's a new passport. And I believe that's the same when going from a minor to an adult passport.

 

[lmhall2000]

I think you updated your actual prices later, but even more importantly, in 5 years the daughter will be nearly 21 and SHE can be the one paying for the passport. Even cheaper for the parents.



There's no such thing as renewing a minor's passport. It can feel like renewing, but it's not. It's a new passport. And I believe that's the same when going from a minor to an adult passport.

Aha! I realized that she would be paying for her next one into the discussion!! Perks of independent birds do they keep the same passport number? I may just send it in right at her birthday and hope it gets here by the cruise..but wondered if copying old passport number would even workif they get new number?

 

[phillmolly]

How much would it cost to drive to Atlanta, is it really worth the savings to give up a day, possibly two? That would be one of the things I would consider. Personally, I would just renew now, and save myself the hassle of driving to Atlanta, and worry of getting everything back in time for the trip. To me that would be worth the extra money.

 

[TinkerbelleMom]

Another way to look at it...what are the chances of you personally paying to renew her passport in 5 years when she's 20, and officially an adult? Will she still be travelling internationally with you by then, or will her life be her own? Silly questions, but realistic. I was lucky enough that the timing for my older two girls made their passport renewals just after turning 16...and they were informed that would be the last one I was buying them lol.

 

[dtjc]

Aha! I realized that she would be paying for her next one into the discussion!! Perks of independent birds do they keep the same passport number? I may just send it in right at her birthday and hope it gets here by the cruise..but wondered if copying old passport number would even workif they get new number?

My kids all got new passport numbers when I renewed them earlier this year.

The person at the post office where we filed the paperwork also took their old passports and sent them in with the applications for the new ones. Their old ones were returned with holes punched in them to invalidate them. I don't know if that is general policy, but if so, your daughter will not have access to her old passport while waiting for the new one.

 

[lmhall2000]

My kids all got new passport numbers when I renewed them earlier this year.

The person at the post office where we filed the paperwork also took their old passports and sent them in with the applications for the new ones. Their old ones were returned with holes punched in them to invalidate them. I don't know if that is general policy, but if so, your daughter will not have access to her old passport while waiting for the new one.

I was planning on copying her passport to take with us just in case the new one does not arrive before the cruise..it would definitely be processed by the cruise, we actually have to go to Atlanta that week for an event, so we'd already be there..hence why I thought it might work out. At 20, she'll still be on my dole She won't graduate college until her 22nd birthday, unless she goes through it quickly If I got her the 10 year one, then she's definitely on her own She's an Irish dancer and wants to make it to Worlds in the next 3 years, so she'd be traveling to Ireland with us...not sure how long she'd compete at that level, but knowing it covers her for more than five years is a perk.
Now, I'm curious if I mail her application in early April, they process it after her birthday, wouldn't that count? I'll need to call the center tomorrow and hopefully get their opinion. It would be nice to have her passport on the cruise, but I'm more concerned about having it for a longer period of time to avoid the hassle of going through all this paperwork, if she renews as a 16 year old, the renewal process at 26 will be much easier. All the rest of us will have our passports...You guys are great for all the helps!!