Renew Your Passport Now!

Renew your passport now as over 13 million Americans were denied boarding their flights last year due to passport issues and that number is expected to climb!

Are you aware of the new government travel requirements?

A decade ago, an important piece of travel legislation made American passports much more in-demand…the State Department saw an unprecedented surge in applications when a 2007 law established passports as necessary for all travel to and from:

Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean Islands

Not US territories of Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands

Millions of travelers acquired passports in 2007 as a result, and now they’re all about to expire! Many of those passport holders will need to renew, which means that passport applications will again increase significantly.

Data from State Dept. website:

REAL ID Changes adding to Passport wait time

The REAL ID ACT is enforcing updates to all state-level identification in the form of embedded security features like machine-readable data. Some states are lagging behind in this technology and residents are realizing that their licenses may soon be invalid for air travel—even for domestic US trips. This will increase passport applications as well. Currently, 25 states have been granted extensions which expire on October 10, 2017.

Effective January 22, 2018, air travelers with identification that does not meet the REAL ID Act requirements and whose state does not have an extension must present an alternative form of identification in order to board a domestic flight.

From travel.state.gov

THAT MEANS A PASSPORT IS REQUIRED!

So how long does it REALLY take to get a passport or renew one?

Glad that you asked. It depends. According to the US State Department website, the average time from application to receiving your new passport in the mail is:

Average Time to Receive New Passport

We just renewed our daughter’s passport and it only took 3 weeks, however clients have already been waiting 6 weeks…average means just that, some will arrive earlier and some later…exactly how many days until your flight departs? Renew your passport now and you have 10 years of travel!

Passports need to be valid for 6 months after your travel dates

While knowing your passport expiration date is important, you should also know that many countries REQUIRE your passport to be valid for at least 6 months from your last travel date in order to be let in country. This is the number 1 reason that passengers are denied boarding international flights. Check the specific requirements for all countries you will be visiting and make sure that any children traveling also have a valid passport with at least 6 months’ time remaining as a child’s passport is only valid for 5 years.

State Department is holding Special Passport Acceptance Fairs

In order to alleviate passport wait times, special passport acceptance fairs are being held across the US for first time passport applications. New cities and dates are updated weekly. Take a look at their website for more details: Special Passport Acceptance Fairs

Renew Your Passport Now – 8 percent increase in foreign travel

2016 saw an 8 percent increase in American’s traveling abroad. According to the National Travel and Tourism office, 66,960,943 American’s left the country – all requiring a passport. So between an increase in foreign travel and the REAL ID act, more American’s are in need of a passport!

So now that you are in the know, go now…the added stress of “will my passport arrive in time” is just no fun for anyone! Renew your passport now, so vacation can be stress free.

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