Can Someone Please Tell Me How Long Does It Take To Get A Passport
Because laws have changed recently in regards to passports, people are now getting them for the first time. The question most asked now is of course, "How long does it take to get a passport?" This is a very important question to have answered because if there is an upcoming trip that will not require a passport, things could get a little dicey.
One thing to make note of is the increase in passport applications over the last few years. The new laws that went into effect in June of 2009 were first rumored in 2006. Because people knew that the rules were going to change, many casual travelers started to apply for passports so that trips to places like Mexico or Canada would not be prevented because of lack of documentation.
The process is not a difficult one, as long as the applicant has all of their paperwork in order. One of the first very first thing that needs to be done is to obtain a passport picture. In addition to that, they will also need a valid government recognized ID and proof of citizenship. If all of these items are valid and ready to go, the application process will go much quicker.
As soon as everything has been gathered, the actual application for the passport can begin. Finding a local passport office is as easy as going on the Internet and most local post office can do passport processing. To avoid getting caught in a crowd, try and go at hours when the post office will not see a lot steady walk-in traffic.
Once the last step has been completed, it is pretty much out of the applicant's hands. This is the part that takes the longest and it will often just depend on how many other applicants there are at that time. Realize that applications are coming in from all over and they all have to be processed.
Currently, the average wait time to receive a passport once it has been accepted is about 4-6 weeks. When vacation seasons are coming around, this time frame can be a bit longer as there will be many more applications coming into the offices. The law changes that went into effect actually helped this cause as people would wait close to a year at times to get their passport.
The government also offers a quicker service, but it has to be paid for by the applicant. If there is a trip coming up and they don't want to risk not getting their passport in time, they can pay the extra fees and be guaranteed that their passport will be returned within a certain period of time. The fee is $60 and can be avoided by simply not waiting until the last minute to get everything processed.
While it would be nice to have a single answer to how long does it take to get a passport, the answer actually varies unless the person is going to pay to get the expedited service. However, it is reasonable to put a two month time frame on the process if you get it from your local passport office. If it gets there a little sooner, all the better.
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