How long does it take for a US citizen to get their first passport?
If I am a US citizen and I have never had a passport before, how long will it take for me to get one? How early do I need to apply before I plan on going abroad?
Best Answer
tl;dr: Official wait time is 4-6 weeks, but it's about 2 weeks during the off-season. No official statistics exist, but you could call or email them to ask, or just ask at your post office.
According to The Bureau of Consular Affairs, 4-6 weeks or 2-3 weeks if expedited.
However, these time frames are not at all accurate, at least for off-peak months (roughly around Sep-Mar ?).
Fri, Feb 1, 3pm: I applied at a post office, was told that expediting is not really going to get me my passport any faster and to call if I hadn't got it within 2 weeks.
Wed, Feb 13, 5pm: Notified that my passport was printed and should arrive by Tue, Feb 19.
Wed, Feb 13, 8pm: Received tracking number indicating arrival by Sat, Feb 16, 8pm.
Sat, Feb 16: Arrived.
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