After a long pandemic, people can’t wait to travel, but those in the know will be the stress-free travelers. If your passport has expired or will expire in the next several months, you are in for a rude awakening.
Two weeks ago, a client of mine said his adult son needed to quickly renew his expired passport. After many hours calling the passport agency and searching the internet, he was finally able to secure an appointment in New Orleans. He had to fly to New Orleans for his appointment! Don’t let this happen to you, find out when your passport expires. It could result in less stress and heartache.
The State Department currently has a backlog of 1.5 to two million passport applications! Renewing a passport now takes approximately 18 weeks. If you can reach a passport agent, you may be able to get an appointment, but that appointment may be in another state. There are limited in-person appointments at passport offices for travelers who are within 72 hours of their trips. But obtaining an in-person appointment is most successful by speaking to a passport agent. There are limited restricted appointments for “life or death” emergencies but you will need an official letter from a hospital or a death certificate.
Many foreign countries allow entry if your passport is valid within six months of the departure date. Check the airline requirements too. For example, Mexico and Costa Rica only require that your passport be valid for the length of your stay (i.e. can be within the 6-month window). But some airlines, such as American Airlines have a blanket 6-month rule in place for all international travel and may deny you boarding. You may still get a boarding pass and then be denied entry by the gate agent.
A little-known fact is that you may be able to get a second passport. That’s right, a second passport. If you travel often and have experienced the time crunch of obtaining a travel visa, obtaining a second passport is highly recommended. It is issued to U.S. citizens who meet one of the eligibility requirements. The second passport will have a new passport number and is valid for only four years. Travelers falling into the following categories may be eligible to obtain a second passport:
Your passport needs to be in two places at once. If you have the need to travel out of the country AND are in need of a travel visa for an upcoming trip, a second passport is an option
Your passport stamps from past traveled countries are not accepted in upcoming travel countries.
What to do about passport renewals?
Submit your passport for renewal well ahead of any planned international travel
Check Facebook or other social media groups as they share advice on how to get through to customer service agents, and which agencies have in-person appointments
Reach out to your congressional office, which can submit an inquiry into the status. it takes time to process a congressional inquiry, but the process might be expedited
And, while you’re at it, look up your TSA Pre-Check to see when that expires so you don’t have to wait in long security check-in lines.
We at Personal Affairs Management Group specialize in helping all aspects of the day-to-day of busy professionals, families, and seniors. We have a team devised to tackle and manage concerns that many may have. If you have questions or need information about you or your loved one’s life management issues, please reach out to us. We are here to make your life simple, secure, and stress-free. Call us at 305-646-1833 or email at Corrine@mypersonalaffairsmanagement.com.
