New U.S. Passport from Consulate

[HeijoshinCool]

Just bought tickets for a month back in LOS. Flight leaves in three weeks. Have only two pages left. No problem getting in and out, but we intend to spend a week in Hong Kong, back to LOS, then a week in Japan, then back to LOS. I just read where the consulate will no longer add pages...

 

So my question is: if I go to the consulate the day after I arrive, how long does it take to get a new one? 

 

Thanks.

[HeijoshinCool]

And, yes, I'll have outbound tickets for a week later...

[George Bowman]

In the past, I would just rock up to the embassy and get the paperwork squared away. I don't think that works anymore as for the last couple of years, I have had to make an appointment online.

 

I will also need a new passport soon and I think it is now delivered by mail. Suppose to take a week or two. Will see...

[metisdead]

As you are not living in Thailand, this process may not be so easy:

 

 

See the details in the following link:

 

https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/passport-by-mail-service-adult-renew/

 

 

 

 

[imjmn]

A new passport will take about 2 weeks - at least that is what if took for me the past 2 times.

 

Just follow the process as indicated on the US Embassy website for Thailand. Very painless. You will apply for a new PP and keep your current one until the new one arrives then the US Embassy will cancel your old one.

 

They stopped adding pages several years ago.

 

MJ

[pontious]

The instructions say you must send your old passport ?

[metisdead]

5 minutes ago, pontious said:

The instructions say you must send your old passport ?

 

Well, you can not enter the embassy without a passport, so they have to review your existing passport and review your application before sending your application off for the new passport.  They will let you keep your passport until your new passport arrives and then they will cancel your old one when the new one arrives. 

[ubonjoe]

34 minutes ago, pontious said:

The instructions say you must send your old passport ?

That is for doing it entirely by mail.

 

[ubonjoe]

3 hours ago, HeijoshinCool said:

So my question is: if I go to the consulate the day after I arrive, how long does it take to get a new one? 

If you make an appointment the day after you arrive you could do the application. See: https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/acsappointment/

I assume you mean at the embassy in Bangkok not the consulate in Chiang Mai.

The new (July 1st) procedure at the embassy is that when you apply for the new passport they will cancel your existing passport by stamping it canceled and punching holes in the cover. Then they will mail the new one to when it arrives.

See: https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/adult-passport-renew/

[HeijoshinCool]

So even if I have an outbound ticket for the following week, and pay an expedite fee, they won't do a two day turn around with pickup in person? They will only mail it out a couple of weeks later?

 

Well, that won't work. 

 

And I don't think to pages will suffice, though Japan's sticker is quite small....

[HeijoshinCool]

52 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

If you make an appointment the day after you arrive you could do the application. See: https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/acsappointment/

I assume you mean at the embassy in Bangkok not the consulate in Chiang Mai.

The new (July 1st) procedure at the embassy is that when you apply for the new passport they will cancel your existing passport by stamping it canceled and punching holes in the cover. Then they will mail the new one to when it arrives.

See: https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/adult-passport-renew/

.

 

I could do CM if that makes it possible.

[ubonjoe]

14 minutes ago, HeijoshinCool said:

So even if I have an outbound ticket for the following week, and pay an expedite fee, they won't do a two day turn around with pickup in person? They will only mail it out a couple of weeks later?

There is no expedited service for passports applied for abroad.

They transmit your application electronically to the states. And when the new one is issued it is sent to the embassy by courier. Passports have not been done at embassies for several years.

The only passport they can issue is a emergency passport that is valid for a year that can be done within 72 hours according to their website.

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, HeijoshinCool said:

I could do CM if that makes it possible.

The only difference in at the consulate in CM is that you can still pick up your new passport instead of it being mailed to you.

[khwaibah]

7 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The only difference in at the consulate in CM is that you can still pick up your new passport instead of it being mailed to you.

 

If you do it in Chiang Mai turn around for pickup can be as little as 7 days.

[ubonjoe]

4 hours ago, HeijoshinCool said:

Flight leaves in three weeks.

That is enough time to get a new passport in the states by paying $60 for expedited service.

See: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/apply-renew-passport/hurry.html

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, khwaibah said:

 

If you do it in Chiang Mai turn around for pickup can be as little as 7 days.

I would say an average of about 10 days. About the same from the embassy but you have to add a day or 2 for it to arrive by EMS.

[khwaibah]

I know of some that received theirs in as little as 5 days but that would be the exception. I received my passport in 6.

[HeijoshinCool]

6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

That is enough time to get a new passport in the states by paying $60 for expedited service.

See: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/apply-renew-passport/hurry.html

Yeah, I've briefly considered that, but the way USCIS screwed up my wife's Unconditional Visa I'm afraid they might lose my passport.

 

We're still waiting for her new green card. The old one is 12 months expired. Have a U.S. senator working on it but he's not making much headway.

 

Only reason we bought the tickets is they were 80% off, and it's with a great airline...

[HeijoshinCool]

4 minutes ago, khwaibah said:

I know of some that received theirs in as little as 5 days but that would be the exception. I received my passport in 6.

CM or BKK?

 

What were the circumstances, anything special, or you just got lucky?

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, khwaibah said:

I know of some that received theirs in as little as 5 days but that would be the exception. I received my passport in 6.

The OP will need is passport back within a week. It does not really matter where he appies there is good chance it will not be able to have in time to make his trip to Japan. Certainly not worth the risk.

His best option is to get a new one in the states before traveling since it can be done in couple of days.

 

[HeijoshinCool]

Just now, ubonjoe said:

The OP will need is passport back within a week. It does not really matter where he appies there is good chance it will not be able to have in time to make his trip to Japan. Certainly not worth the risk.

His best option is to get a new one in the states before traveling since it can be done in couple of days.

 

Expedited ($60) in the States is a two day turn around?

[HeijoshinCool]

I wouldn't be concerned except I read where some countries won't allow entry with only two pages left; but no details which countries.

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, HeijoshinCool said:

Expedited ($60) in the States is a two day turn around?

It is $60 for all expedited services. The 2 days is using expedited delivery services at costs more.

All the info about is on the webpage I posted a link to.

[HeijoshinCool]

Thanks. I'll take another look.

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, HeijoshinCool said:

I wouldn't be concerned except I read where some countries won't allow entry with only two pages left; but no details which countries.

I personally would not even consider making the trip with only 2 pages. I would pay the $60 to get a new one before starting the trip.

[HeijoshinCool]

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

I personally would not even consider making the trip with only 2 pages. I would pay the $60 to get a new one before starting the trip.

I agree wholeheartedly. Like I said, though, the last year with USCIS (yeah, not Passport Agency but both Feds) has been stressful and astonishingly absurd. We're still awaiting the wife's Unconditional green card.

 

There's an "Exceptance Facility" just down the road from me, so that's where I'll be first thing in the morning.

 

Thanks, guys.

[mtls2005]

I was able to pick up my renewed passport in 2010 at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok five (5) calendar days after initial processing appointment. No clue how that was even physically possible, nor would I ever count on that in the future.

 

Three weeks seems close, but perhaps the best option is to renew in the U.S.? There are companies in the U.S. which specialize in expedited renewals, for hefty fees, but they have runners and contacts so they deliver often within a few days. 

 

https://www.usa.gov/passport#item-34907

 

How to Renew Your Passport
If you need to get a passport quickly--in two weeks or less--you will need to have your passport renewal expedited and pay additional fees.
Call the National Passport Information Center to make an appointment at a  Regional Passport Agency. There are two options for getting an appointment:
For an automated appointment system available 24 hours a day, call 1-877-487-2778; TDD/TTY: 1-888-874-7793.
OR use the online passport appointment system.
At your appointment, you’ll need to provide proof of immediate travel, an expedited fee, and the items listed below to renew your passport.
If you will be traveling in three weeks or more, you can submit an application by mail.

 

 

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

I was able to pick up my renewed passport in 2010 at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok five (5) calendar days after initial processing appointment. No clue how that was even physically possible, nor would I ever count on that in the future.

Mine took 10 days in 2013 to day I got an email it had arrived. Five days was possible but it depended upon the day of the week you applied.

Now at the embassy you have to add in a couple of days for delivery by EMS as I wrote earlier.

The OP has all the other info you posted using the link I posted. It does not matter where it is done it will cost $60 extra.

 

[khwaibah]

1 hour ago, HeijoshinCool said:

CM or BKK?

 

What were the circumstances, anything special, or you just got lucky?

 

Chiang Mai only and no circumstance. The consulate in Chiang Mai IMHO is far superior to  the embassy in Bangkok.

[mtls2005]

50 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It does not matter where it is done it will cost $60 extra.

 

 

Like I said, there are companies which specialize in expedited passport renewals, we used them all the time for last-minute renewals. They are expensive - a lot more than $60, but they can get the job done in ~ 2 days IME. They are easy to find, based on the location of the OP. They have the contacts and runners to get the job done, freeing the 'renew-er' from trying to finagle an appointment.