“Where’s my passport?” It’s a question many people ask as they endure the long passport application process. The bad news: Passport applications and renewals take weeks, if not months. The good news: Tracking your passport status is easy. Here’s how to check the status of your passport in just a few simple steps.
How do I check on my passport status?
It’s exceptionally easy to perform a passport status check, which is the same for new applications and renewals. All you have to do is go online or call the National Passport Information Center. There are five possible statuses: in process, approved, passport mailed, supporting documents mailed or not available. Here, you can also subscribe to email updates about your passport status.
3 steps to check online where your passport is
- Visit passportstatus.state.gov.
- Enter your last name, date of birth and last four digits of your social security number.
- See your passport’s current status.
Check your passport status by phone
What do I do if my status is not available?
Your passport status may be listed as “not available” for three reasons:
- Your passport is still in transit to the passport agency. This may take up to two weeks, plus additional time for processing payment.
- The system is experiencing technical issues. Try checking your status again in a few hours.
- You’ve mistyped your name when you searched for your passport status. If your name has a hyphen, try typing your name with and without it on the passport status tracker website. Also, be sure to add any suffixes to your last name.
First passport or renewal: Is the processing time different?
No. New applications for passports and passport renewals take the same amount of time to process. The steps for tracking your passport status in either case are the same.
How long will my passport status be “in process”?
The short answer: about a month to three months. But it depends on which type of processing you’ve selected.
What does “in process” mean for a passport?
“In process” means that your passport application or renewal has been received by the processing center and is undergoing review. This is typically the longest part of the process, as indicated by the processing times above.
How to proceed in case of emergency?
If you must travel abroad after submitting your passport application or renewal, you must call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 (1-888-874-7793 TDD/TTY). If you are traveling in more than 14 days, you can upgrade routine service to expedited service for a fee. If you are traveling in less than 14 days, you may be able to make an in-person appointment to receive your passport immediately, but availability for these appointments is limited.
Where can you travel while waiting for your new passport?
While you’re waiting for your passport to process, you can travel anywhere within the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii. You can also travel to U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Bottom line
Checking your passport status is easy to do online. Just keep in mind that the “in process” status might take several weeks or months. If you need to expedite your passport application or renewal after you’ve submitted it, call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 (1-888-874-7793 TDD/TTY).
The foregoing article was last updated on the 14th of November 2023. It does not contain legal advice and is for informational purposes only. KAYAK does not guarantee, and accepts no legal liability arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any of the information contained in this article and/or any of the content linked to within it. Always check the official government website of your departure and arrival destinations prior to travel for up-to-date information.
Sources:
https://passportstatus.state.gov/
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/status.html
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/contact-us/passports.html
