Emergency Passport/Rapid Renewal

Frank Bullitt

Hey all,

Long story short, I have to update my current passport (its still valid) to the new e-passport with the chip installed. I am flying through the states on the 29th and need it to get the ESTA visa for transit, not having one has cost me a lot in the previous days with money and stress.

I have booked into a meeting in the passport office on Tuesday morning to get a new one done ASAP, and I have heard of the rapid renewal one which I hope will sort me out. My meeting/submission of forms is on the 8th and I fly on the 29th.

I read online that turnaround for these is somewhere in the region of 5 days, please confirm this for me, or ill be swimming back to Vancouver.

Victor

Mileage varies. If needs happen, you can get one in a few hours. However, that is very much the exception, e.g. bereavement or an at-risk person.

Passport Express is 10 days: http://www.anpost.ie/AnPost/MainContent/Personal+Customers/Sending+Mail/Speed/Passport+Express/

Bring your ticket with you when you see them. Explain when you are travelling and you need to get the ETSA in advance.

slimjimmc

Is there any issue with you travelling to Ireland on one passport and travelling back on another? I gather from your other thread that you've recently flown home from Vancouver on your 'old' passport.

Victor

slimjimmc wrote: »

Is there any issue with you travelling to Ireland on one passport and travelling back on another? I gather from your other thread that you've recently flown home from Vancouver on your 'old' passport.

I imagine not. It may be a problem entering another country (other than the country of the passport) on one passport and leaving on another - without good reason.

Carawaystick

Victor wrote: »

Passport Express is 10 days: http://www.anpost.ie/AnPost/MainContent/Personal+Customers/Sending+Mail/Speed/Passport+Express/
.

Allegedly.

Although should be on time in December.

Theres an expedited application but it costs over+above the normal passport fees. about 55 euros

https://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=259

Andrea B.

Are you 100% sure it is not valid? If it is machine-readable without the chip . Mine has no chip, issued in April 2006 and US compliant. As of last June anyhow.

So. Machine readable will do if you have it and fit below criteria from US Embassy

"Passport requirements for VWP applicants who are nationals of the following 27 countries:

Andorra, Australia, Austria*, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany*, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom:

--October 26, 2005 - Passports issued prior to this date must be machine-readable.


--October 26, 2005 - Passports issued on or after this date must have a digital photo. A digital photo is one that is printed on the page, not a photo that is glued or laminated into the passport.


--October 26, 2006 - Passports issued on or after this date must be an e-passport with an electronic chip. Review further information on the DHS website.

Emergency and Temporary Passports

Effective July 1, 2009, for travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), all passports issued on and after October 26, 2006, including emergency and temporary passports, are subject to the electronic passport (e-passport) requirement. Review changes to VWP travel for bearers of emergency/temporary passports webpage on this site.

It is important to note that families require individual passports for each traveler, including infants, should they wish to travel visa free. Machine-readable passports typically have biodata for only one traveler in the machine-readable zone. Based on this, families may be denied visa free entry into the United States if the biodata for only one traveler is machine-readable. Travelers not in possession of machine-readable passports will require either B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourist) visas, or a combination of both (B1/B2). Review instructions on How To Apply For A Visa on this site.

The requirement that the traveler be in possession of a machine readable passport/e-Passport applies only to those seeking entry into the United States under the Visa Waiver Program; it does not apply to those applying for visas.

How do I know if I have a machine-readable passport?
View sample Machine Readable Passport at top of this page. Travelers should also look at the bottom of their passport [the photo page] for two lines that are typeface lines, that have letters, numbers and hatch marks." The two lines at the bottom of a machine-readable passport, for example, would look like the following:

LINE 1: P COUNTRY LAST NAME << FIRST NAME < MIDDLE NAME <<<<<
LINE 2: PASSPORT NUMBER COUNTRY DOB<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Machine-readable passports allow data in the passport to be scanned automatically by a machine. The two lines of printed OCR-B machine-readable data (circled in red in the image of a U.S. machine-readable passport shown above) are the most noticeable features of a machine-readable passport. If you are in any doubt as to whether or not your passport is a machine-readable passport, you should check with the passport issuing authority of your country. Visit the DHS website for more information. "

Carawaystick

If it has the less than signs its machine readable. I doubt any valid non-embassy issued passport is not machine readable.

Frank Bullitt

It is machine readable but in order to get an ESTA online, you need to have an epassport, its already cost me a lot of stress and money.

If I am to get an ESTA with the current passport, then I would need to go to the US embassy or consulate and its not as quick online, I was told in Vancouver it would take 3 weeks.

While I am home also, it would be easier to get a new passport while I am here, its a bit longer and more complex when you are in Van as the embassy is in Ottawa.

Frank Bullitt

Andrea B. wrote: »

Are you 100% sure it is not valid? If it is machine-readable without the chip . Mine has no chip, issued in April 2006 and US compliant. As of last June anyhow.

So. Machine readable will do if you have it and fit below criteria from US Embassy

"Passport requirements for VWP applicants who are nationals of the following 27 countries:

Andorra, Australia, Austria*, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany*, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom:

--October 26, 2005 - Passports issued prior to this date must be machine-readable.


--October 26, 2005 - Passports issued on or after this date must have a digital photo. A digital photo is one that is printed on the page, not a photo that is glued or laminated into the passport.


--October 26, 2006 - Passports issued on or after this date must be an e-passport with an electronic chip. Review further information on the DHS website.

Emergency and Temporary Passports

Effective July 1, 2009, for travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), all passports issued on and after October 26, 2006, including emergency and temporary passports, are subject to the electronic passport (e-passport) requirement. Review changes to VWP travel for bearers of emergency/temporary passports webpage on this site.

It is important to note that families require individual passports for each traveler, including infants, should they wish to travel visa free. Machine-readable passports typically have biodata for only one traveler in the machine-readable zone. Based on this, families may be denied visa free entry into the United States if the biodata for only one traveler is machine-readable. Travelers not in possession of machine-readable passports will require either B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourist) visas, or a combination of both (B1/B2). Review instructions on How To Apply For A Visa on this site.

The requirement that the traveler be in possession of a machine readable passport/e-Passport applies only to those seeking entry into the United States under the Visa Waiver Program; it does not apply to those applying for visas.

How do I know if I have a machine-readable passport?
View sample Machine Readable Passport at top of this page. Travelers should also look at the bottom of their passport [the photo page] for two lines that are typeface lines, that have letters, numbers and hatch marks." The two lines at the bottom of a machine-readable passport, for example, would look like the following:

LINE 1: P COUNTRY LAST NAME << FIRST NAME < MIDDLE NAME <<<<<
LINE 2: PASSPORT NUMBER COUNTRY DOB<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Machine-readable passports allow data in the passport to be scanned automatically by a machine. The two lines of printed OCR-B machine-readable data (circled in red in the image of a U.S. machine-readable passport shown above) are the most noticeable features of a machine-readable passport. If you are in any doubt as to whether or not your passport is a machine-readable passport, you should check with the passport issuing authority of your country. Visit the DHS website for more information. "

This is really interesting to see. I am going to be contacting the booking agent I went with and telling them this. My flights ended up more than doubling in price and the penalty fees were insane.

Thanks for this.

Andrea B.

Hi.
1. What is your exact issue date?
2. Has it or has it not the machine-readable "lessthan" symbols on the photo page?

Frank Bullitt

Andrea B. wrote: »

Hi.
1. What is your exact issue date?
2. Has it or has it not the machine-readable "lessthan" symbols on the photo page?

1. The issue date is August 14th 2006.
2. Yup, it has them.

Andrea B.

Gintonious wrote: »

1. The issue date is August 14th 2006.
2. Yup, it has them.

Then, seems you do not require ePas unless issued after Oct 2006. So you appear to be ok according to DHS web.

Frank Bullitt

Andrea B. wrote: »

Then, seems you do not require ePas unless issued after Oct 2006. So you appear to be ok according to DHS web.

Well to be sure I have the bases covered, and while I am home, I will get a new passport to save any further hassle.

Frank Bullitt

Just a follow up on this.

With my new passport, will there be an issue with my booking for traveling? Or would it all be sorted at the check-in desk?

Victor

Gintonious wrote: »

Just a follow up on this.

With my new passport, will there be an issue with my booking for traveling? Or would it all be sorted at the check-in desk?

Do you mean will you be refused check-in simply because you renewed your passport? Highly unlikely. Passport office will normally return your old passport (with the corners cut off) if you request.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

awec

Gintonious wrote: »

Just a follow up on this.

With my new passport, will there be an issue with my booking for traveling? Or would it all be sorted at the check-in desk?

If you arrive at the US with a completely blank (and brand new) passport expect to get a more intense questioning by immigration than you would otherwise.

I would suggest you also carry your old passport with you when you travel.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

awec

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

This is just based on my experience going through US immigration last week. I didn't have my old one on me either.

Literally the first thing the guy said to me was "oh wow, a new blank passport. Can I take a look at your old one?".

Of course it's not a major issue but it's not difficult to carry your old one if you have it and could save you a bit of time. With all the issues going on at the moment I guess they're scrutinising a bit more and are nervous of people who may replace passports to hide old stamps.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

awec

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Obviously.

But if the choice is to throw an extra passport in your bag (if you have it) or stand for longer getting questioned then it seems like a pretty easy thing to do.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Frank Bullitt

Hold on, ill get extra questioning because my passport is new?

Victor

Gintonious wrote: »

Hold on, ill get extra questioning because my passport is new?

They will want to know why either (a) you have never travelled before or (b) you are hiding previous visa stamps (of nefarious places!).

L1011

Victor wrote: »

They will want to know why either (a) you have never travelled before or (b) you are hiding previous visa stamps (of nefarious places!).

That you can travel very, very extensively without receiving a single stamp does make option a a bit difficult for them.

I have three stamps (from two countries) in my passport; but I've been to maybe 15 countries with it. Its visibly quite worn though.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.