Need passport renewal help!

[annathepiper]

So the chances of solarbird and I getting to go to Scotland for Worldcon this year have improved slightly--and so I want to make sure my passport is properly renewed in time. The only problem is that I do not know how to go about doing this. Anybody on my Friends list in the Seattle area, can you recommend a proper place to go and get this done? Thanks in advance!

Comments

[eveshka.livejournal.com]

Passports around here are done in main Post Ofice branches.
Call your local one and see?

[eveshka.livejournal.com]

...
Post Office.

[annathepiper]

Just got a nibble on where to do it near to my house. Thanks, though! :)

[solarbird]

There's a passport office downtown that's fastest. Also, the Seattle neighbourhood centres can do it too, without much additional delay. But downtown is faster if you have to do it in an expedited fashion, which shaves weeks off the process. (From like eight to two or something.)

The cheaper, slower way is definitely better, but you need to do it asap.

[kathrynt.livejournal.com]

Er, when I renewed my passport in Mill Creek (before the Bothell office was open) it took three days, I think.

[annathepiper]

Cool. :) What all did it involve? I presume I have to go get new passport photos made?

[kathrynt.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to remember. We had passport photos taken at Costco, and we handed those over along with the paperwork and about $110 each or something, and three days later we got our passports. My timing might be totally off though. I was renewing, Erik was getting his first passport.

[annathepiper]

Ah, okay. I'm given to understand there are forms to download, and aerialscribe says that unless you have changes to make to your passport they really want you to mail the documentation in. Guess I'll be looking at that. :) Thanks for the input!

[solarbird]

Really? Huh. Okay. Expedited took them something like ten days when I did it. (Maybe less - a week? I forget.)

Of course, I had changes. So I guess it wasn't a pure renewal.

[llachglin.livejournal.com]

No. It took the usual N weeks, with N being a number from 2 to 6. I can't remember exactly. We DID go to Mill Creek (the police station there, because it was one of the few offices open on Saturdays), but recall that this was for new passports and not renewals. Renewals are a different process, I think.

[kathrynt.livejournal.com]

Mine was a renewal. Remember, baby, I was born in a foreign country?

[llachglin.livejournal.com]

I thought that yours had to go through the new passport process because it had been so long since it had been current. I seem to recall that you were going to do the renewal process and found out you couldn't.

[annathepiper]

aerialscribe says elsewhere on the thread that for renewals, they really want you to mail in the paperwork. So I guess I'll be doing that. :)

[kathrynt.livejournal.com]

You can do it at Bothell City Hall, right downtown in Bothell.

[annathepiper]

Thanks!

[hederahelix.livejournal.com]

I don't know what your time frame is, but I needed to renew mine before I went to the Netherlands a few years ago, and I was worried about whether it would come in in time or not, so I actually went down to the local passport agency office, and I got it back about two weeks sooner than the deadlines they posted.

The info for the Seattle (http://travel.state.gov/passport/about/agencies/agencies_901.html) passoport agency office can be found at that link. You can probably talk to someone who can tell you realisitically what the turn around times are like. Hope that helps!

[annathepiper]

It does help indeed, thank you very much! :)

Worldcon is early August, so I have a while yet, but I do need to get this done ASAP just to be on the safe side.

[kent.livejournal.com]

It's spelled out here (http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/renew/renew_833.html), although I understand wanting to do it in person. You could at least download, print, and fill out the renewal form in advance.

[annathepiper]

Cool, thanks for the link! ^_^

[annathepiper]

I've gotten links elsewhere on the thread. :) Thanks for chiming in!

[cafiorello.livejournal.com]

I had to go in person, but then I remembered why: The last time I got a new passport, it was after mine was stolen! They have a whole extra affidavit thing and all that, to make sure you're not selling them to terrorists or whatnot. Note: Do not have purse stolen right after you come back from Canada.
Cathy

[annathepiper]

Yeah, it seems that unless you have extraordinary circumstances going on, they really want you to mail in the paperwork. Guess I get to give the printer a workout tonight. :)

[pauldf.livejournal.com]

yup. Renewing by mail worked really well for me last year before my trip to Norway.

[annathepiper]

Good to know! Thanks for chiming in. :)