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Applying for a passport? It’ll take you longer than usual: According to The Points Guy, a routine passport service can take around 10 to 13 weeks (seven to nine weeks if you’re willing to pay more for expedited service) and an additional two weeks for processing and mailing. And that’s not including how long it might take to get an appointment (which are required at most facilities). Blame pandemic-related staffing shortages and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) pausing online passport applications for the unusually long passport waits.
If you’re a first-time passport applicant or if you’re 16 or younger, here’s a way to at least cut out the appointment wait time: There are special passport acceptance fairs for first-time applicants and kids being held across the country. Many of them don’t require an appointment (although several do)—you can just show up and apply.
How to find a passport acceptance fair near you
The special passport acceptance fairs lead by the DOS will be held in post offices, libraries, and local government offices. You can see the upcoming fairs listed by month (click on a month to see the full list of events). Most events fall on weekdays, but some will be available on the weekends. The fairs are not yet in every state, but the site states that new events are added weekly.
You can also use the search tool at the top of each tab to search for a location near you. They will be ordered by date and alphabetized by state.
Here’s what to bring to the fair
You will need:
Original or certified physical copy of U.S. citizenshipValid ID and photocopy of it (driver’s license works)Passport photo of the applicant (some facilities provide photo services for a fee)Keep in mind that these in-person events will make your starting process faster, but once you submit your application, you will be on the same slow boat as everyone else who submitted their applications via mail or any other regular route.
