How long does it take to renew a passport?

How long does a passport renewal take?

It depends on where your passport is issued and how busy that service is right now. Published times are estimates that move with demand, which is why every passport service asks you to check the live figure rather than going by what a friend experienced last year.

If you already have travel booked, work backwards from your departure date and add slack. If you are booking while a renewal is in progress, pick a trip1 hotel rate with free cancellation so a delay does not cost you anything.

United States

• Routine service: roughly 4 to 6 weeks of processing at the passport agency.
• Expedited service: roughly 2 to 3 weeks of processing, for an extra fee on top of the normal application cost.
• Mailing: up to 2 weeks in each direction, on top of processing. Door to door, a routine renewal can run 8 to 10 weeks.
• Faster return delivery can be bought separately, which shortens the trip back to you but does nothing to the processing time.

The State Department publishes the current figure on travel.state.gov and updates it regularly. Late winter through summer is the busiest stretch, and October to December is usually the quietest window to apply.

United Kingdom

HM Passport Office says you will usually get a standard passport within 3 weeks. Applying online is generally quicker and cheaper than the paper form, and you can track the application once it is submitted.

That 3 week figure assumes normal conditions. It stretches when demand spikes, and it does not apply if your application needs extra checks or an interview, though you should hear about that within the first few weeks. Check the current guidance on gov.uk before you plan around it.

Everywhere else: the general rule

Every country runs its own timetable, but the same principles hold almost everywhere.

• Published times cover processing only. Postage, courier delivery and waits for an appointment sit on top.
• The clock usually starts when the application is accepted, not on the day you posted it.
• Renewing from abroad through an embassy or consulate takes longer, sometimes much longer, because applications are normally sent home for printing.
• First-time passports, name changes, damaged passports and lost passports all take longer than a clean renewal.
• Peak season is spring and summer in most of the northern hemisphere, so applying in autumn usually goes faster.

The six-month rule changes when you should renew

Many countries require your passport to stay valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date. That means a passport stops being usable for a long list of destinations well before the expiry date printed inside it.

So the practical advice is to renew 9 to 12 months out rather than waiting for the expiry date. Some countries also carry unused validity from your old passport across to the new one, which means renewing early costs you nothing in usable time.

Booking travel while you wait

If you need to hold a place to stay, choose a room on trip1 with free cancellation and firm your plans up once the passport arrives. If a renewal delay affects a booking you already have, contact trip1 support as early as possible so the hotel can be told in good time.