<p>We’ve been planning a trip to join our son who has been on a study abroad in Ireland since January. Our flight is scheduled for next Saturday night. As he was leaving this morning, my husband suggested that I check to make sure we had our passports. I knew they were in the file where we keep them since I had sorted through them locating our son’s in January so I wasn’t concerned UNTIL I FOUND THEM AND REALIZED THEY EXPIRED LAST YEAR!!! </p>
<p>Oh my goodness. I see that there are places to get expedited replacements. Anyone have a real life experience in dealing with one of these? I see the cost is (gulp) about $200 for two day service. I am beside myself. </p>
<p>If you are traveling internationally in less than 2 weeks or need to obtain a foreign visa within 4 weeks, we recommend scheduling an appointment at a passport agency near you.<br>
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Department of State Passport Agency
Find a passport agency near you.
You must pay the expedited fee for each application submitted in person at a Passport Agency or Center.
Appointments are required at all agencies. There is no charge to make an appointment at a passport agency, and customers should not pay anyone or any business charging for this service.
To schedule an appointment 24/7, please call our National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778.</p>
<p>When I applied for my passport about 6 months ago it came in one week without being expedited so I would have thought if you expedited it you could get it. When we applied (at the post office) they were readily able to tell us about how long they were usually taking, I wonder if it would ease your mind at all to call and ask and see what they say.</p>
<p>Breathing easier - We have an appointment in Philadelphia this afternoon. Forms filled out, just need a picture taken and I think I can get that done at CVS. </p>
<p>Opt to drive back and pick up the renewed passports in person if they cannot be issued to you today.
Peace of mind is worth the drive, only one of you is needed to do the pickup.</p>
<p>They might ask you for a proof of your travel, so just in case bring a copy of your itinerary. We were in a similar situation last year - with an extra complication. Our passports were in the “black hole” of a foreign consulate that took its sweet time to issue visas. While it is not widely advertised, a US citizen can hold 2 passports under certain circumstances. We made an appointment at the passport agency downtown, and our second passports were ready the same afternoon. We were told that if we had an afternoon appointment, we would have had to come back the next morning to pick them up. </p>
<p>Side note but related question - has anyone renewed a passport recently without expiditing? Wondering what the turn around time was. We have to renew our youngest D’s passport card to a regular passport and am hoping if I get it sent next week it will be renewed in time for cottage season late May or so!!! </p>
<p>My fiance did his six months ago and got it in one week. They told us 1-2 weeks I think. I was applying for my first one and he was renewing and they both came in the mail on the same day, but that was six months ago and I don’t know if different locations have different times anyway.</p>
<p>I had been told to get our passports arranged 6-9 months out because it takes “FOREVER” but I don’t know if we just got lucky or if that’s not the case anymore. We applied in September or so for our May honeymoon and people kept giving us crazy looks like we better hurry up and get it done, but it was fine.</p>
<p>Another question - so you have to send the original one in with the renewal application, right? So even though that original one is not yet expired (I think D’s expires June 14 or something like that…) can she not do any traveling without the orginal on her - can’t have a photocopy or anything or can they check on the computer to see her name in the system. I have always been uncomfortable with that rule that you have to send the original - I guess the government is uncomfortable with us HAVING the original!!! </p>
<p>They made fiance give his up. He was really attached to it for some reason and didn’t want to but they said they couldn’t process the renewal application without it. I’m not sure what they would have said if we’d had at trip planned, they probably would have told us to pay to expedite it in that case.</p>
<p>My son found out his passport had expired about 20 hours before he was to leave for a bachelor party in Mexico.
He was in NYC and all appts at the NYC passport offices for the next day were filled. He found a slot in Philadelphia first thing in the morning. He took an Amtrak to Philly but the train was stopped for 20 minutes enroute because there was a guy standing by the tracks. He finally arrived at the passport office but was late for his appt. He explained to the receptionist what happened and that his flight was leaving in 2 hours.As soon as he walked back to the waiting area his name was called. He walked out of the passport office with a new passport 35 minutes after he walked in and made his flight.</p>
<p>This lapse on his part cost him big bucks,from changing his flight leaving from Philly instead of NYC and all the transportation costs and extra fees he had to make. </p>
<p>My D just received her new passport last week. It took about 3 weeks from when she sent everything in. Her passport was not expired either, but it has to go along with the application for the new one. The old one also was returned with the holes punched in it.</p>
<p>Back from Philly. Everything went pretty smoothly. We had one hiccup with husbands picture. He had it taken against a concrete wall and the passport person didn’t like the texture, but let it go after all. Paid to have it sent overnight but that still means a few days. Neither of us has the time to go back to pick up in person. BTW, we were able to show our flight confirmation on my phone, which was handy. </p>
<p>Ooooh I saw the title of the thread and recalled that my sister and her husband went thru the same thing last fall. There were only a few days to get my sister’s expired passport renewed , but it all worked out</p>