On this page · 8 sections
- Passport renewal times and timeline: how long does each stage take?
- What does the passport renewal processing time include and leave out?
- What can slow a passport renewal down?
- How do I check and track my passport renewal status?
- Can you renew a passport online, and is it faster?
- What is the fastest way to renew a passport?
- What passport renewal timeframe should you plan before a trip?
- Why PassportsAndVisas.com for a fast passport renewal?
Key Takeaways
- The government's passport renewal processing time does not include shipping: your application can take up to 2 weeks to arrive, the new passport up to 2 weeks to come back, and your old passport comes back separately afterward.
- PassportsAndVisas.com renews U.S. passports in as little as 3-4 business days with Emergency Expedited, or from $199 plus government fees with Essential Expedited in 12 business days.
- Online passport renewal cannot be expedited and is open only to adults aged 25 or older with no international trip in the next six weeks.
- Missing or unusable documents are the most common avoidable renewal delay: in our review of 521 applications over the last 180 days, our pre-check caught one on 44% before submission, most often the photo.
Our date assumes you send us your documents tomorrow. Government dates are the State Department's published estimates.
First-time, child and certain replacement applications still require one in-person acceptance signing — we prepare the packet and find the soonest slot near you.
Passport renewal times and timeline: how long does each stage take?
A U.S. passport renewal takes 4–6 weeks of routine government processing or 2–3 weeks expedited, and up to 10 weeks or up to 7 weeks door to door once shipping each way is added.
A U.S. passport renewal takes 4–6 weeks of routine government processing or 2–3 weeks expedited, and up to 10 weeks or up to 7 weeks door to door once shipping each way is added. The table shows the full renewal timeline, each stage labelled by who handles it.
| Stage | Time | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Your application travels to the U.S. Department of State Not counted in the government processing time | up to 2 weeks | Shipping |
| Routine processing Included in the routine door-to-door total | 4–6 weeks | Government processing |
| Expedited processing Adds the $60 government expedite fee; included in the expedited door-to-door total | 2–3 weeks | Government processing |
| Your new passport travels back to you 1 to 3-day delivery is a $26.87 government option | up to 2 weeks | Shipping |
| Routine, door to door Shipping in, routine processing and shipping back | up to 10 weeks | Other |
| Expedited, door to door Shipping in, expedited processing and shipping back | up to 7 weeks | Other |
| PassportsAndVisas.com Emergency Expedited Our fastest speed, counted from when we receive your documents | 3-4 business days | PassportsAndVisas.com |
What does the passport renewal processing time include and leave out?
The government's passport renewal processing time covers only the time the U.S. Department of State spends on your application; it leaves out shipping your application in and shipping the new passport back.
The government's passport renewal processing time covers only the time the U.S. Department of State spends on your application; it leaves out shipping your application in and shipping the new passport back. Those two legs are why a 4–6 weeks routine renewal becomes up to 10 weeks door to door.
- Included: government processing, 4–6 weeks routine or 2–3 weeks expedited.
- Left out: shipping your application in, up to 2 weeks.
- Left out: shipping your new passport back, up to 2 weeks, unless you pay $26.87 for 1 to 3-day delivery.
- Arrives later: with a form DS-82 renewal, your old passport comes back in a separate envelope, up to two weeks after the new one.
What can slow a passport renewal down?
A passport renewal slows down most often because of a missing or unusable document, usually the photo, an incorrect check, an unsigned form DS-82, or a passport that does not qualify for renewal.
A passport renewal slows down most often because of a missing or unusable document, usually the photo, an incorrect check, an unsigned form DS-82, or a passport that does not qualify for renewal. In our review of 521 applications over the last 180 days, our pre-check caught a missing or unusable document on 44% before submission. The photo was the top issue, at 41%, followed by a missing current passport at 13%.
| Cause | Why it happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| An unusable passport photo | The photo has to meet the U.S. Department of State's size, background and pose rules, and a selfie or old print often misses one of them. | Our Digital Photo Service turns a clear selfie into a compliant passport photo, and our team checks it before submission. |
| A check with a mistake | The payment must be a check or money order payable to the U.S. Department of State, filled in correctly. | Our pre-check reviews the payee, amount, date and memo details before anything is submitted. |
| An unsigned form DS-82 | A form DS-82 renewal needs your signature to be processed. | We prepare the form for you in your portal; you sign it at home in black ink, and we confirm the signature is there. |
| The current passport is missing | A form DS-82 renewal must include your most recent passport. | Our checklist lists the passport first, and our pre-check confirms it is in the packet. |
| The passport does not qualify for renewal | Renewal with form DS-82 is for a passport issued within the last 15 years, when you were 16 or older, that is undamaged and not reported lost or stolen. | If yours falls outside those rules, the application is a new passport instead, and we can handle that too. |
| Your name has changed | The renewal must be in your current name, or come with a marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order. | Our pre-check compares the names on your application and documents before submission. |
For more on these errors and how to avoid them, read our guide to common passport renewal mistakes.
How do I check and track my passport renewal status?
With PassportsAndVisas.com, you track your passport renewal status without looking anything up: we send SMS and email updates at each stage, from order confirmation to delivery of your new passport.
With PassportsAndVisas.com, you track your passport renewal status without looking anything up: we send SMS and email updates at each stage, from order confirmation to delivery of your new passport. Both are switched on by default, and you can turn off SMS at any time.
- Order confirmed, right after payment
- Application completed in your portal
- Documents received at our office
- Pre-check approved for each document, or a clear reason and re-upload link if something needs fixing
- Application submitted to the U.S. Department of State
- Passport issued
- Passport shipped back to you by FedEx
- Passport delivered
Our guide to checking your passport renewal status covers status questions in more detail.
Can you renew a passport online, and is it faster?
Online passport renewal is not faster: it cannot be expedited, so it follows the routine 4–6 weeks processing time, and it is open only to adults who meet a set of conditions and are not traveling soon.
Online passport renewal is not faster: it cannot be expedited, so it follows the routine 4–6 weeks processing time, and it is open only to adults who meet a set of conditions and are not traveling soon. You complete the online application yourself; no third-party service can submit it for you.
| If… | Then… |
|---|---|
| You are 25 or older, with a 10-year passport that expires within a year or expired less than five years ago | You may qualify for online renewal, if the other conditions also apply. |
| You are in a U.S. state or territory, have your passport in hand and undamaged, and are not changing your name or sex | These are the remaining online conditions. |
| You have international travel within the next six weeks | Online renewal is not an option; you need a form DS-82 renewal, and an expedited speed fits a near trip. |
| You renew online | You keep your old passport rather than sending it; it will be canceled. |
The government's routine renewal (form DS-82) is the other route, with routine or expedited processing and up to 10 weeks or up to 7 weeks door to door. For the reader whose trip is sooner, or who would rather not do it alone, PassportsAndVisas.com takes it from there: we prepare your form DS-82, pre-check every document, and you send everything with our prepaid FedEx label, with no in-person visit needed. Or let us handle it from the start.
What is the fastest way to renew a passport?
The fastest way to renew a U.S. passport is PassportsAndVisas.com Emergency Expedited, in as little as 3-4 business days, counted from when we receive your documents.
The fastest way to renew a U.S. passport is PassportsAndVisas.com Emergency Expedited, in as little as 3-4 business days, counted from when we receive your documents. We submit your renewal at a passport agency on your behalf, pick up the finished passport and send it back to you by FedEx, so a trip, cruise or wedding a few days out can still work.
| Cost | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| PassportsAndVisas.com Emergency Expedited: our service fee In as little as 3-4 business days | $449 | PassportsAndVisas.com |
| PassportsAndVisas.com Rush Expedited: our service fee 6 business days | $349 | PassportsAndVisas.com |
| PassportsAndVisas.com Priority Expedited: our service fee 8 business days | $249 | PassportsAndVisas.com |
| PassportsAndVisas.com Essential Expedited: our service fee 12 business days | $199 | PassportsAndVisas.com |
| Government application fee, adult passport book Paid to the U.S. Department of State | $130 | Government |
| Government expedite fee Shortens processing to 2–3 weeks | $60 | Government |
| Government 1 to 3-day delivery Faster return of the finished passport | $26.87 | Government |
Our service fees are separate from the government fees, which go to the U.S. Department of State. The government's own expedite option brings processing to 2–3 weeks, or up to 7 weeks door to door. If your trip is closer than that, PassportsAndVisas.com takes it from there. Our guide to how long an expedited passport takes compares the options side by side.
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Renew your passport now →What passport renewal timeframe should you plan before a trip?
You should renew a U.S. passport early enough that the door-to-door time, up to 10 weeks routine or up to 7 weeks expedited, ends before you travel, with validity to spare for countries and cruises that ask for it.
You should renew a U.S. passport early enough that the door-to-door time, up to 10 weeks routine or up to 7 weeks expedited, ends before you travel, with validity to spare for countries and cruises that ask for it. For cruises, the U.S. Department of State advises a passport valid at least six months beyond travel, with two or more blank pages.
| If… | Then… |
|---|---|
| Your trip is several months away | A routine form DS-82 renewal fits, at up to 10 weeks door to door. |
| Your trip is a few weeks away | Government expedited service is up to 7 weeks door to door; our Priority Expedited takes 8 business days and Rush Expedited 6 business days. |
| Your trip is days away | Our Emergency Expedited renews your passport in as little as 3-4 business days. |
| The passport was issued when you were under 16 | It cannot be renewed; the next one is a new passport applied for in person, and our child passport service handles it. |
Reader is matching a speed to a specific travel date and may want help choosing.
Ask Sarah a question →Why PassportsAndVisas.com for a fast passport renewal?
PassportsAndVisas.com is a registered passport expediter since 1992 that pre-checks every renewal document, handles FedEx shipping both ways and submits your renewal for you, in as little as 3-4 business days.
- Document pre-check: our team reviews every document before submission, because a fixed photo or check now saves weeks later.
- Digital Photo Service: we turn your selfie into a compliant passport photo.
- No in-person visit for renewals: you sign form DS-82 at home and send it with our prepaid FedEx label.
- We submit for you: your renewal goes to a passport agency on your behalf, and we FedEx the new passport to your door.
- Updates at every stage: SMS and email from order to delivery.
- Protection Plan: coverage for issues during the application process.
- Four speeds: from 12 business days down to 3-4 business days.
“Great service! On time delivery of the renewal of an expired passport! I highly recommend them for rapid passport renewal.”
A registered passport expediter since 1992. We are a private company, not the U.S. government.
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