If you need a passport and you’re having trouble finding the time to turn your passport application in, mark your calendar for Saturday, March 10. That’s when the Department of State will be holding the 4th annual “Passport Day in the USA” to encourage busy Americans to apply for passports.
What is Passport Day? If you’re lucky enough to live in one of the 24 cities that boast a regional passport agency office, it’s the only day each year when you can just waltz in and submit your passport application without making an appointment. It’s also the only day the office is open on weekends.
Even if you’re not located near a regional passport agency, many local passport acceptance facilities (like post offices, libraries and municipal buildings) are participating in the celebration as well. These offices may not require an appointment to submit your passport application (though some do), but they often have extremely limited or no weekend hours. On March 10, they’ll be open to accept passport applications on Saturday afternoon, which is much more convenient for people who work during the day. To find the nearest acceptance facility that’s participating in Passport Day, visit the Department of State website.
To avoid wasting a trip, take a moment and read through the passport application requirements for your situation:
How to Apply for a New Passport
One thing to keep in mind: At Passport Day, you may only apply for regular service (a turnaround time of about six weeks) or the Department of State’s expedited service (a turnaround time of about three weeks).
Regional passport agencies offer same-day passport service, but you can’t apply for it on Passport Day. Instead, you’ll have to make an appointment to come in on a weekday. Appointments are available only if you already have tickets to leave the country in the next 2 weeks (or 4 weeks if you also need a visa for your destination country.)
An easier option for faster service is to use a private expediting company like RushMyPassport. Let us hand-carry your passport application directly to the Department of State, for processing in as little as 24 hours and no need to make an appointment or wait in line!