www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Hi guys...

I am in the process of obtaining my passport. I wanted to see if anyone knew of about how long it is taking to actually receive your passport. I plan on expediting the process by paying the additional fee. I know that there have been delays recently due to the amount of people applying. I know what they are telling me as far as how long it will take but you know how that is.

Any info would be appreciated. I am wanting to plan my SJ trip ASAP but all depends on the passport.

My passport expired in May of this year, and I had booked a late June trip to CR. I sent it for renewal approximately May 9th, regular mail to Philly, with the expedited option. I received the passport in my PO Box on May 23rd. Exactly 2 weeks. I live in Palm Beach County, FL. I was very relieved by the quick turn around.
My cousin in St. Louis and his girlfriend renewed passports not using the expidited option. Took approximately 13 weeks for them.
IMHO the expediting is essential if you are at all conscious of time or value peace of mind with a SJO trip on the horizon.

My wingman will not make it due to the hold up with passports. It is absolutely imperative to pay the additional fee to have it sooner.

What a lame reason not to be knee deep in chicas, no passport...


Cujo

_________________
"Pain is the fuel that fans the flames of my pyre. A battle plan is only as good as the general carrying it out on the field. This is my war son, and I have the biggest bombs and the smallest conscience"...

I heard a story on the news yetserday that NY Senator Chuck Schumer is calling on Bush to add more personnel to the Passport Office to handle the load of passport applications.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyo ... 3560.story

If there is a Regional Passport Agency in your hometown and you are travelling within 2 weeks (must have proof), I suggest you use it. I did this in April a week before my trip and picked up my passport the same day.
http://travel.state.gov/passport/about/ ... s_913.html


You call to make an appt. You go there in the morning, stand in line, drop off old passport and pay the $67 + 60 fee, and the new passport is ready in about 4 hours.
Here's what I did: https://costaricaticas.com/phpBB2/viewto ... ort#147140

They say that even with the expedited fee, people are waiting up to 6 weeks for passports. The regular way takes up to 12 weeks now.

Tell your wingman to call and make the appt to the Miami Regional Office to renew his passport or get new one. He can call 14 days before your travel date, not sooner. He can get an appt, go in, and have a new passport by the end of the day.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/about/ ... s_913.html

MIAMI Passport Agency
Claude Pepper Federal Office Building
51 SW First Avenue
3rd Floor
Miami, FL 33130-1680

Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., local time, M-F, excluding Federal holidays
Automated Appointment Number: 1-877-487-2778

Cool, sounds like an idea. Although he lives in Orlando. Maybe I can shake his tree and see if he will reconsider. Thanks Orange


Cujo

_________________
"Pain is the fuel that fans the flames of my pyre. A battle plan is only as good as the general carrying it out on the field. This is my war son, and I have the biggest bombs and the smallest conscience"...

Here's two recent examples:

- A close friend sent off his passport (expedited) for renewal. Received it exactly 46 days later (this past month).

- My sister applied for a new passport (for my niece). She also expedited it. 44 days to get the new passport (this past month).

In both of these instances, the extra $60 was paid for the expedited service. Every time I see something on the news about passport renewals, they are stressing the point of how back-logged they are.

My passport is coming up for renewal. I can't send it in yet, due to my upcoming trip to CR next week. But I'll be sending in the renewal application (expedited of course) the day after I return from the Labor Day weekend in CR. I'm hoping to get it in time for my following trip in October, exactly 43 days later.

It would suck to miss a trip to CR because of the back-log with all the passport applications! Hopefully, they're starting to get things a little more organized in that department.

MG

_________________
You ALWAYS have an option ....... "NEXT" !!!

Licker,

FYI, HOUSTON Passport Agency
Mickey Leland Federal Building
1919 Smith Street
4th Floor
Houston, TX 77002-8049
Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., local time, M-F, excluding Federal holidays
Automated Appointment Number: 1-877-487-2778

Suggest you make an appointment first. Secondly, make travel arrangements and proceed to appointment with tickets in hand (very important). Since you are in Houston, make them aware you would like to pickup your passport in person.

You should have passport within the week, provided you have no outstanding warrants, tax liens etc.,etc.

Well hell,

I guess i will have to get on the ball in order to be assured of a virginal trip Sept. 27-Oct. 1.

I have also heard that this is an option, but why would anyone want to wait until the last minute to get their passport? I've thought about this option, as I'm only a couple hours from Miami, but I don't have the 'nads to wait until last minute. And IMHO, 2 weeks prior to an international trip is last minute!

_________________
You ALWAYS have an option ....... "NEXT" !!!

If you pay the expedited fee and get your application in the mail this week, you will have your passport before college football season.

For example, if you realized that you need to renew your passports 5 weeks before your travelling, expedited mail-in may not be an option anymore. And walk-ins aren't accepted until 2 weeks before travel. So you have to wait until you get to 14 days before your trip.

Here's why I had to wait until 2 weeks before. I know, I know, I could have done it 6 months earlier, but we forget sometimes. I realized in mid-March that my passport was about expire in July. I had a trip in mid-April then another Memorial day, so from what I heard, even with the expedited fee, the time in between my trips may not be enough. I didn't want to chance not getting it in time thru the mail. So the only option I had was to go in person and do it. The only thing is they won't give you an appt unless you are travelling within two weeks. You must show printed itinerary or ticket. So on April 5, exactly 14 days before my Aprl 19th trip, I called for an appt. My appt was April 13. I went in that morning and had my passport by 1pm.

MG,
If you are travelling next week, you could possibly get an appt for late this week and have it done that same day, or put your money on the efficiency of the US government employees.

Simple answer to getting passport renewals in a couple of weeks without paying any additional fees Move to Cost Rica Consulate processes renewal with a 10 day turn around time and yes that is in the past few weeks.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Orange,
For the hell of it, I just tried to make an appointment at the Miami office, anytime between now and my Aug. 4th trip. I called the toll free number, and tried to go thru the automated appointment system. There are no morning appointments or afternoon appointments between now and Friday, August 3rd! So much for that!

I might try to get an appointment after I return from CR. Actually, I'll try again between the time I return from CR ( Aug 11th ) and my next trip to CR ( Aug 29th ). Let's see if I can get an appointment during that time-frame. If not, I'm going to have to put my faith in the "efficiency" of the U.S. Government employees and hope that I get it back before my October trip.

MG

_________________
You ALWAYS have an option ....... "NEXT" !!!

Your tax dollars at work. What the hell is the difference between paying a fee for expedited service and a plain old third world bribe? Whether it is for a passport, a visa, or any other government service. We pay our taxes for these services already and if the damned beaurocrats and civil service workers can't handle the load, either remove the regulations or cut their(and I mean especially elected officials' benefits) and hire more productive workers to get the job done. The worst part is the bribe doesn't even get you the result it would in CR.

_________________
In heaven there is no beer, that's why we drink it here!