Anybody apply for a passport recently?

[rinny]

For anyone who has in the last couple months, what was the final time from sending to receiving that it took to get your passport?

[TomcoPDR]

Renewed mine in January, 08

Got mine in about 3 weeks from time of drop off @ office to mail at your door.

[teggypimp95]

If your renewing and you got your last passport when you were over 16 then its easyer and faster. Mine took about 4 weeks from the time i mailed it to the time i got it mailed back.

If your appliing for one, do down to the passport office and deal with it there.

[Jfro962]

depending on where you go and if you just stuff it off in a envelope with a 0.52 stamp which i'd never do .... it can take from 1.5 weeks - 3.5 months!

[nuge77]

I sent mine in by mail at the beginning of March. I haven't seen anything come back yet but my credit card statement did show they charged for it about a week ago.

[zhulander]

Surprisingly quick for me. Applied downtown Mar. 27 and got it yesterday.

[2jzgte]

march 1th- 18th

Friend almost fucked it up for me as a guarantor ...couldnt remember my address.

[JVR1]

if i remember correctly it's a 2 week turn around after you submit in person (at any passport office) and pay an extra 10 bucks to pick it up at harry hayes

[2002civic]

it depends, if your in a hurry mention your travelling on a certain date and say you will pick it up

[rinny]

Originally posted by 2jzgte
march 1th- 18th

Friend almost fucked it up for me as a guarantor ...couldnt remember my address.

What do you mean? Do they phone and check your guarantors? When I did mine in 2004 none of my references were checked that I know of. My roommate is applying for the first time for his. Do they check guarantors and references?

[98type_r]

i did all my application online, submitted it to harry hayes on also on March 27. They told me it would be mailed out to me on April 10th. I got it in the mail yesterday.

[Speed_69]

I submitted my application at the harry hayes building at the beginning of march and got it back 2 and half weeks later in the mail.

[FreakinPrince]

I did mine end of march and got it within three weeks

you just make sure you check off the box unknown for travel and they could put a rush on it for ya...

apply it downtown..dont' mail it out...faster if you go in the morning as there could only be like 5 people already..it opens at 730am


three weeks and its all good

[ianmcc]

Go downtown and apply in person. They have two lineups-one for those who got the application filled in correctly (there is a person pre-screening all applications first) and one for those who screwed something up. Guess which lineup is shorter.
And they are sticklers for the details-like a signature even touching the outside of the allowed area. Have your photos done by a place that knows what they are doing-London Drugs is good.
Expect it in 2-2 1/2 weeks. Don't mail it in. Don't go to a satellite office-go right downtown. And prepare to have Canada Post sign it over to just anyone-they let my father in law sign without providing any ID and not even having a name close to the one on the package.

[googe]

There's an even better lineup if you find the passport online form.

It was hilarious, I walked in there, dude asked to see my form, "here, I did the online one, heard it works better"...he's like "Oh, you did good, you get to take one of these numbers. They get priority over all the other numbers. Watch, everyone is gonna give you dirty looks"

I take a number and sit down, room is packed, people have obviously been there for hours waiting. The second my ass touches the seat, "Now serving..(my number)" so I stand right back up, give her my papers, and I'm out of there

As others said, if you want it fast, ONLY go to the downtown location. You will also have to pick it up there. All other locations will mail it to you, which takes forever.

Also you can pay for priority processing if you can justify it (you have travel plans and can show them the itinerary) and get it in like 2 days.

Google for "canada passport online" and it should take you to it. Note, there is also a PDF form you can download online, but this is NOT the right one. It should make you register with something called e-passport.

Also there are very strict printer settings to get all the margins right. They explain it on the page, but it still took me a bunch of fudging to get it perfect. Otherwise it isn't machine readable and will get rejected. If you aren't comfortable with setting that up, get someone that knows what they're doing to help you.

[BigBadBear]

I went to the south office with all my stuff properly filled out (it comes with instructions!), some London Drugs pictures and my new birth certificate and it should be sent out on the 21st.

Spent all of 11 minutes at the passport office.

[2BLUE]

What do they do when your at the office and you get called in?

I was at the building and some guy came out of there swearing and crap.

[Chris88CL]

Took me 6 days total from start to pick up time. That includes a weekend in there. Not too shabby.

[2jzgte]

Originally posted by rinny


What do you mean? Do they phone and check your guarantors? When I did mine in 2004 none of my references were checked that I know of. My roommate is applying for the first time for his. Do they check guarantors and references?

oh sorry, yeah they wonder why my guarantor signed in different pens. He was at my house but didn't have his passport on him so he signed once at my house with a blue pen and at his with a black pen. Then they grilled him for about 10 minutes according to him.

They really want to make sure its Acutally YOU thats applying for a passport.

[Palmiros]

Mine took ~2 weeks to come in.

If you're willing to pay ~10 and pick it up as soon as it comes back to them, you're prolly looking at something ~ a week.