Passport problems | Handling the waits — in line, and in the mail

Many Americans are waiting three months and more to receive their passports after tougher U.S. security rules — which, since January, have required passports for people coming back by air from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda — set off an avalanche of passport applications.

Travelers don't yet need passports for land or sea travel to those countries; the Bush administration delayed that to summer 2008 after a deluge of complaints from travelers and Congress.

Getting a passport can be confusing and frustrating. Here are some questions from Seattle Times readers — and answers.

Q: I need to get my daughter's passport renewed. Since waiting in line with a 4-year-old is no picnic, I would like to minimize it. What are the wait times for standing in line at the main Seattle office and submitting your paperwork, not the time involved in getting the passport itself? Is there a best time to go? Can renewals for juveniles be taken care of at any of the passport offices listed on the government Web site?

Margaret Goertz, Kirkland

A: To get a passport, you can't go to the downtown Seattle Passport Agency; that's only for emergency issuing of passports for people traveling within two weeks. Instead, there are dozens of what are called "passport acceptance facilities" around the Seattle area, including some post offices, municipal and county offices, and neighborhood service centers. Find the nearest ones by going to http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/and entering your ZIP code.

People getting passports for the first time or children under 18 must apply in person (adults can renew by mail). It's a good idea to phone the passport-acceptance office that looks most convenient to double-check hours and ask about the least-busy time.

The staff at the office where you submit your application will take your completed form (download it at www.travel.state.gov), the required photos and payment. That office then sends the application to the State Department's centralized passport-issuing offices (which is where the logjam of approximately 3 million passports occurs).

I went to a Shoreline post office with my teenager to renew her passport; that part of the application process took just 15 minutes. I paid extra for expedited service and received the passport in just over two weeks. Granted, that was in early spring before the big summer rush began. But if you're at all concerned about getting a passport quickly, pay the $60 extra for expedited service. That's on top of the $97 fee for a passport ($82 basic fee for those under age 16).

Q: What is the current processing time for renewal by mail of a valid passport, sent with the required application, photos and fee?

John McCaslin, Kirkland

A: A renewal (which can be done by mail for adults' passports) takes the same amount of time as a first-time passport. Current estimates are 10 to 12 weeks for routine processing, according to the State Department, which is hiring extra staff and struggling to issue passports more quickly after severely underestimating the demand that the stricter security rules would bring.

I heard last week from one Times reader who received his passport in late June, just three weeks after applying with normal, not expedited, service. So figure on three months; be happy if it's less.

If you need your passport more quickly, or just want the peace of mind, pay extra for the expedited service; it should take two to three weeks. However, some travelers who've paid for expedited service have had to wait a month to get their passports.

You can check the status of your passport application online at www.travel.state.gov.Yet the centralized passport-issuing offices are so swamped that it can take seven to 10 days from when you mail your application for online tracking to kick in.

Q: We are leaving for a Russia river cruise. Unfortunately, this was the year we had to renew our passports. We will need at least two to three weeks to get a visa after we receive our passports. Should we just continue to wait, or at what point do we need to do something other then wait? We have quite a bit of money invested in this trip, and not knowing if the passports are coming soon is very nervewracking. What do you suggest?

Jean Livingston, Newcastle

A: If you don't have your passports within a month of your departure date, I'd suggest you phone the National Passport Information Center, 877-487-2778, to check on their status. You'll have to be very patient; that line has been swamped.

If you can't get through, or can't get a good estimate of when your passports will be mailed, you could go in person to the downtown Seattle Passport Agency (915 Second Ave., Suite 992).

Although, in theory, that office issues passports on an emergency basis only for those leaving in two weeks or less, since you need to get visas, try going earlier (and you can make appointments through the phone number above).

Once you get your passports, you could consider getting Russian visas through one of the private visa-service companies, perhaps on a rush basis, depending on the timing. If you have worked through a travel agent, he or she or the cruise company may be able to recommend a company. Or you can search online for "visa expedite."

Q: My son's passport renewal was submitted in preparation for going to Canada at the end of July; he's 14 and will be flying with parents.

If (the passport's) not ready, the State Department Web page says we can use a receipt ... showing proof of application and that government-issued photo ID will be accepted for Canada.

For a 14-year-old kid, this means using what as ID? A student-body card? I appreciate any light you can shed on this.

Mark Grabow, Vashon Island

A: For driving to Canada with you, a birth certificate and photo ID, such as student card, would be all your son needs (adults should take government-issued photo ID such as a driver's license as well as birth certificates or proof of legal residency).

Passports won't be required for land and sea travelers to Canada (and Mexico and the Caribbean) until summer 2008 at the earliest.

For flying to Canada, a passport has been required since January. However, because of delays in issuing passports, the State Department says that until Sept. 30 a traveler instead may fly with a passport-application receipt showing that he or she has applied for a passport (print out the receipt from www.travel.state.gov). Be sure also to take a birth certificate and photo ID; this applies to children and adults.

This temporary waiver of the passport requirement also applies for flights to Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. However, travelers should double-check with consulates/embassies of those countries about what other kind of ID is acceptable. Get contact information for embassies through the "travel information by country" at www.travel.state.gov.

Kristin Jackson: kjackson@seattletimes.com or 206-464-2271