U.S. Passport Renewal Questions

[DennyEagle]

Will be applying for a new U.S. passport in Vientiane at the U.S. embassy, and I have some questions. I know I need $110 U.S., my passport,and application form

1. Can the $110 US be in Thai baht?

2. How many passport pictures?

3. Do they have certain hours they do this at, and do I need an appointment?

4. Any other copies I need, or anything else?

Thanks much.

[CMSteve]

http://laos.usembassy.gov/passports.html

[lopburi3]

Apointments are now required according to this 31 August message from US Embassy Bangkok ACS:

This is a reminder that beginning tomorrow, September 1, appointments

will be required for non-emergency consular services at the American

Citizen Services Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. The U.S.

Consulate in Chiang Mai has already implemented this requirement, and

starting tomorrow the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane, Laos will also follow.

Please plan accordingly.

This email is UNCLASSIFIED

[IMA_FARANG]

CHECK with the U.S. embessy in Vientiane BEFORE you go there. I suspect you can NOT renew a U.S. passport on a single trip there.

They no longer allow any renewals of U.S. passports as they used to because of the 9/11 events. It will take you at least 2 weeks, because a new passport will not be issued until they do a background/security check in the U.S. The days of being able to walk in to a U.S. embessy and get a new U.S. passport ended when the twin towers fell in New York.

If you live in Thailand the best option you have is to go through the U.S. embessy in Bangkok, or perhaps the consulate in Chiang Mai if that is closer to you. Call them first and find out.

If you simply need new pages in your current passport...that can be done. But even that is NOT free any longer...I believe it will cost you 85 dollars for the extra pages. That can be done in a day...but if that's all you need still call them first...and make an appointment

Anyhow as I said...don't expect instant service any longer for passport renewals from the U.S. embessy or consulate. They will tell you it will take 3 to 4 weeks...but in my experience 2 weeks is usually enough.

They will issue you a temporary reciept that you can use while they hold your passport. Then you have two choices:

1. They mail the new passport to your Thai address......or

2. You have to return to the embessy or consulate to pick up your new passport. They will take your phone number and call you when your new passport is ready for pickup. Then you go pick it up with that reciept they gave you when you turned in your old passport. That gets you your new passport.

Personally, I wouldn't trust mailing a passport in the Thai mail...much less having one mailed to Thailand from Vientiane...but that's your choice.

But you can't just walk into any U.S. embessy or consulate any longer and get your passport renewed the same day. Even in the U.S. that is no longer possible...since shortly after 9/11.

Sorry.

[lopburi3]

US Embassy does not issue full passports. They courier passport from the US source that makes them. Normally you keep your old passport until the new one arrives and then present yourself to make the change/have old one cut (unless there are support warrants out for you in which case your passport will be confiscated, at application, until settled).

[Thanyaburi Mac]

CHECK with the U.S. embessy in Vientiane BEFORE you go there. I suspect you can NOT renew a U.S. passport on a single trip there.

They no longer allow any renewals of U.S. passports as they used to because of the 9/11 events. It will take you at least 2 weeks, because a new passport will not be issued until they do a background/security check in the U.S. The days of being able to walk in to a U.S. embessy and get a new U.S. passport ended when the twin towers fell in New York.

If you live in Thailand the best option you have is to go through the U.S. embessy in Bangkok, or perhaps the consulate in Chiang Mai if that is closer to you. Call them first and find out.

If you simply need new pages in your current passport...that can be done. But even that is NOT free any longer...I believe it will cost you 85 dollars for the extra pages. That can be done in a day...but if that's all you need still call them first...and make an appointment

Anyhow as I said...don't expect instant service any longer for passport renewals from the U.S. embessy or consulate. They will tell you it will take 3 to 4 weeks...but in my experience 2 weeks is usually enough.

They will issue you a temporary reciept that you can use while they hold your passport. Then you have two choices:

1. They mail the new passport to your Thai address......or

2. You have to return to the embessy or consulate to pick up your new passport. They will take your phone number and call you when your new passport is ready for pickup. Then you go pick it up with that reciept they gave you when you turned in your old passport. That gets you your new passport.

Personally, I wouldn't trust mailing a passport in the Thai mail...much less having one mailed to Thailand from Vientiane...but that's your choice.

But you can't just walk into any U.S. embessy or consulate any longer and get your passport renewed the same day. Even in the U.S. that is no longer possible...since shortly after 9/11.

Sorry.

"They will issue you a temporary reciept that you can use while they hold your passport." ??? I don't think so!

Here's a couple www sites of interest.

http://laos.usembassy.gov/passports.html

http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

Note, they can be picky about the photo, size and background color, read up on the subject, below.

Mac

http://travel.state.gov/passport/pptphotoreq/pptphotoreq_5333.html

Passport Photo Requirements

Your photo is a vital part of your passport application. To learn more, review the information below on how to provide a suitable photo to avoid passport processing delays.

We recommend you use a professional passport photo service to ensure your photo meets all the requirements.

If you are applying for a U.S. Passport, you must provide one (1) photo. Your passport photo must be:

In color

Printed on photo quality paper

2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) in size

Sized such that the head is between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (between 25 and 35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head. View the Photo Composition Template for more size requirement details.

Taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance

Taken in front of a plain white or off-white background

Taken in full-face view directly facing the camera

With a neutral facial expression and both eyes open

Taken in clothing that you normally wear on a daily basis:

Uniforms should not be worn in your photo, except religious clothing that is worn daily.

Do not wear a hat or head covering that obscures the hair or hairline, unless worn daily for a religious purpose. Your full face must be visible, and the head covering must not cast any shadows on your face.

Headphones, wireless hands-free devices or similar items are not acceptable in your photo.

If you normally wear prescription glasses, a hearing device or similar articles, they may be worn for your photo.

Dark glasses or non-prescription glasses with tinted lenses are not acceptable unless you need them for medical reasons (a medical certificate may be required)

Glare on glasses is not acceptable in your photo. Glare can be avoided with a slight downward tilt of the glasses or by removing the glasses or by turning off the camera flash.

Review the Photo Examples to see examples of acceptable and unacceptable photos. Photos copied or digitally scanned from driver’s licenses or other official documents are not acceptable. In addition, snapshots, magazine photos, low quality vending machine or mobile phone photos, and full-length photographs are not acceptable.

[IMA_FARANG]

US Embassy does not issue full passports. They courier passport from the US source that makes them. Normally you keep your old passport until the new one arrives and then present yourself to make the change/have old one cut (unless there are support warrants out for you in which case your passport will be confiscated, at application, until settled).

--------------------------

Lopburi3

I know what the embessy claims...but the real reason they will not issue a new passport immeadiately is because all passport applications and renewals for U.S. citizens must go through a security/valdation record check in the U.S. before approval. As I said, this policy has been effect since a few months after 9/11 for all new applicants and renewals of U.S. passports.

It only takes a minute or so to print and embosss a new U.S. passport from the blanks...but unless the applicant passes that security validation...nothing will be printed.

No U.S. embessy or consulate now is authorised to issue a passport immeadiately without authorization from that security validation...and then only in extreme emergencies and by direct autherisation.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

US Embassy does not issue full passports. They courier passport from the US source that makes them. Normally you keep your old passport until the new one arrives and then present yourself to make the change/have old one cut (unless there are support warrants out for you in which case your passport will be confiscated, at application, until settled).

--------------------------

Lopburi3

I know what the embessy claims...but the real reason they will not issue a new passport immeadiately is because all passport applications and renewals for U.S. citizens must go through a security/valdation record check in the U.S. before approval. As I said, this policy has been effect since a few months after 9/11 for all new applicants and renewals of U.S. passports.

It only takes a minute or so to print and embosss a new U.S. passport from the blanks...but unless the applicant passes that security validation...nothing will be printed.

No U.S. embessy or consulate now is authorised to issue a passport immeadiately without authorization from that security validation...and then only in extreme emergencies and by direct autherisation.

It'll take at least two (2) weeks to receive your new passport, or three or four, correct, it's not a quick turnaround.

Mac

[lopburi3]

US Embassy does not issue full passports. They courier passport from the US source that makes them. Normally you keep your old passport until the new one arrives and then present yourself to make the change/have old one cut (unless there are support warrants out for you in which case your passport will be confiscated, at application, until settled).

--------------------------

Lopburi3

I know what the embessy claims...but the real reason they will not issue a new passport immeadiately is because all passport applications and renewals for U.S. citizens must go through a security/valdation record check in the U.S. before approval. As I said, this policy has been effect since a few months after 9/11 for all new applicants and renewals of U.S. passports.

It only takes a minute or so to print and embosss a new U.S. passport from the blanks...but unless the applicant passes that security validation...nothing will be printed.

No U.S. embessy or consulate now is authorised to issue a passport immeadiately without authorization from that security validation...and then only in extreme emergencies and by direct autherisation.

There are no "blanks" anymore for full passports. All are biometric and produced in the US as needed.

Processing

Expedited processing is not available for passports when you apply from outside the United States. All passports requested from overseas are printed in the U.S. and sent to your embassy or consulate. In an emergency, embassies or consulates can issue limited validity passports. Contact them directly for more information.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/outside/outside_5462.html

[TerryLH]

There may be security checks, but passports here are issued from the National Passport Center.

You'll keep the old one until the new one arrives.

They'll now use Thai mail to return some pp's from the embassy, but I doubt if that would work from Laos. Not sure if renewals would be eligible, but I know that pp's that have pages added are.

There is another option. You can apply for a renewal at one of their Outreach visits. I did that in KKC a few years ago.

There is an Outreach visit scheduled for Udon Thani in a few days. (8th, I think.)

[danmarnj]

For passport renewals, there is no extra charge for additional pages, don't forget to check off that box in the renewal application.