#Passport appointment scheduler usps full

'Regarding our passport scheduling tool, because of the surge in demand for travel and passports, we are seeing a large volume of requests for passport appointments,' a USPS spokesperson said in a statement. When asked for more details about the lack of appointments across the Lone Star state, both the Houston and Dallas USPS offices pointed to an increase in travel among Americans. Waco, which sits between Dallas and Austin, had availability as soon as June 1, but in the Houston suburbs of Spring, Pinehurst and Tomball, there were no appointments available until mid-June. I wondered if the situation might be better outside of the main metro areas, so I looked to the smaller cities and suburbs.

Of the four major cities in Texas, San Antonio was the only one with appointments in early June. Read more: Don't necessarily expect shorter waits in applying for Global Entry and other 'trusted traveler' programs The first available appointment at five of the six USPS locations in Austin is June 14 the same is true for all Houston-area locations. The situation is slightly better throughout other major cities but still not great. If you are applying for your first passport, are under 16 years old, received your previous passport when you were under 16 or your passport is more than 15 years old, you must complete the application process in person at a state acceptance facility. Whether you have kids under age 16 or you're simply getting your very first passport, you may not be able to initiate the process for at least a month, which could spoil future travel plans if you don't get ahead of the situation.įor more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Much like a ticket to an Olivia Rodrigo concert, the appointments are sold out before they are made available.'īecause children under age 16 must apply for each passport in person with both parents or guardians present, the lack of available appointments is especially problematic from a scheduling perspective. 'The other difficulty is you can only book appointments four weeks out. Phantom appointments show up, but when you try to book them, they don't exist,' said TPG reader Lori Strong, whose 13-year-old daughter's passport expires in August. 'I have spent hours looking for appointments in Austin, Houston, and towns in between. This furthers the hassle and extends the amount of time it takes for people to get new passports. While it's already inconvenient to physically go to the application center, the larger issue at hand right now is the lack of upcoming appointment availability at certain passport acceptance facilities.

#Passport appointment scheduler usps full

Passports for children only last five years and it isn't until a child turns 16 that they can apply for a full passport valid for 10 years. However, certain people, including first-time applicants and kids have to complete the application process in person. The State Department currently estimates the passport delivery time to be between eight and 11 weeks for routine service. passports by mail, which requires some paperwork as well as some time waiting around for processing and delivery. Share your feedback at Your comments could be included in the “Mailbag” column.Most people can renew their U.S. USPS accepts millions of passport applications each year, making passports an important part of the organization’s efforts to grow revenue. Optional text notifications will also be available. The kiosk will print a receipt listing the details of the appointment, a confirmation number and a confirmation email. The customer can then make a selection and enter their name, phone number and email address.Īfter confirming the information, the customer must select “Schedule Appointment” to finalize. The closest location will be listed first. The kiosk will display a list of available appointment dates and locations. To make an appointment, customers will select “New Passport Only” or “New Passport with Photo Services” on a self-service kiosk’s display screen, then enter the number of adults and minors for the appointment.Īppointments can be made up to 28 days in advance. Customers can now use self-service kiosks in Post Offices to schedule passport application appointments.īeginning July 13, the scheduling option will allow customers to avoid lines and adhere to social distancing guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic.