Well, that was smoother than I thought. I went from having one passport with no space left for stamps to two empty passports…in a number of hours.
Los Angeles Passport Agency: Easy
I was able to make an appointment over the phone (+1.877.487.2778) for the State Department Los Angeles Passport Agency. Traffic was heavy, but I made it on-time for my 7:30AM appointment.
I took along printed itineraries for a few upcoming trips and also composed a letter explaining why I needed a second passport.
Upon arrival, I had to clear security to enter the Federal Building and then found the passport office on the ground floor.
After a very kind employee verified I had an appointment outside the entrance, I was invited into a large room where I waited in another line to officially check-in.
The lady at the check-in desk asked me what I wanted and I explained I needed two passports. She provided me a ticket with an alphanumeric code and I was invited to take a seat and wait for my number to be called.
Just two minutes later, my number was called. The agent processed my paperwork, but told me I needed two passport pictures, not one. That threw me for a loop since the pictures are scanned, not pasted in (like they once were).
Thankfully, there was a photo office on the 7th floor, so I paid $14 for two poor-quality photos.
Since I was not traveling internationally same-day or next-day, I was told I would need to come back the following afternoon to pick up my passport (I was traveling two days later). Before I left, I pre-paid $110/passport plus a $60 rush fee per passport. There was no additional expedite fee. Note that if my travel had been more than five days away, the only pick-up option would have been to overnight the passports to me (at a cost of $17.99).
So yesterday I did return between the narrow window of 2:30PM and 3:00PM to pick up my passports. Instead of having to go back into the office, passports are collected a will-call desk around the side of the building.
I showed up at 2:30PM and my passports were not ready yet, but by 3:00PM I had three of them in my hand…including my now-decommissioned passport that still had five years of life but no more space.
CONCLUSION
All things considered, this was a very easy process. I am fortunate to live in a big city, which made this so much easier, but am happy to know that if I ever get into a bind, at least on weekdays, there is a quick way to obtain a new passport.
Share the photos!
I’m not happy with them. I’m wearing a turtleneck and my hair is messed up…
Even better.
Always bring more photos than needed. It is basically sunk cost to get more than one. I get mine taken at Costco for $4.99 for 4 photos.
Matthew
I like your post and enjoy reading every one of them. These posts are very helpful and informative in content.
But I am extremely curious about how to get two passports as I am planning to travel to Israel and some Arab countries in near future. I heard that if you have a stamp of Israel then Arab countries see you as a suspicious person and if you Arab or Iran stamps then Israel sees as a person of interest.
Please guide me
Thank you
Hi Dharmvir, I will provide a detailed guide in a future post.
Dharmvir,
Israel will give you the option of not stamping your passport and instead give you a card to keep with you until you depart.
Israel no longer stamps passports. You receive a migration card instead. But if you cross into Jordan by land, your passport will essentially become invalid in Lebanon, Syria, and potentially KSA.
Thanks for sharing! I just went through the ordinary expedited renewal process at the Atlanta office since I’m traveling in a few days and up against the 6 month validity period. Slightly different procedures as far as pick up goes, and a security guard who yelled at folks who took phone calls in the waiting area, but otherwise an incredibly smooth process.
I got the 52 page booklet, which should suffice. My old one had extra pages added at the Embassy in New Delhi a few years ago. It is definitely bulkier than the new one. Adding pages is no longer an option, it seems.
You were right by my house!
Did they hole punch your old passport since it was unsable or leave it alone because it was unexpired?
Congrats! As a point of comparison (since I mentioned it in a comment to your previous post), it costs roughly USD 20 to renew an EU passport here in Sweden and that includes the pictures and the express delivery.
nice..the 2 should last you awhile. Will you alternate or use up one then the other?
The second passport expires in four years, so I will focus on using that one first.
The last you need is to only travel with one passport and forget to bring the one with current visas to some county you’re visiting. I’d travel with both for the next four years (that’s what I do). I’d also keep them in separate locations (on you of course) so you have a back up if something happens to the other.
Just wondering how you manage Global Entry or airline profiles when you carry two passports with different numbers. Do you always use the same to leave and enter the US?
Good question. I need to figure that out this week and will do a separate post on it.
I guess you can have a “default” passport you use to check in when leaving the US and then when you are coming back. Once you check in nobody cares which passport you use to enter at your destination. Problem is if you have your default passport stranded at a consulate getting a visa and you need to leave or enter the US with the second one.
That’s correct, and you can only have one passport linked to your global entry profile. You can change that online for your profile, I can’t remember if it’s automatic, or takes time to be verified…?
I once had to get a passport 48 hours before I went on a business trip. The San Francisco passport office had one printed for me in less than 90 minutes. It’s amazing to me that it can either take 6 weeks or 90 minutes.
Same–once had my passport stolen in Marrakesh on a Saturday, went to the embassy on Monday morning and had a new passport in an hour or so! I had booked a new flight back for the Wednesday thinking it would take a while…
Send pics of your filled passport if the stamps are interesting!
I will do so, when I have time.
I’ve read that the 2nd passport is not valid for the full 10 years, is that what happened to you?
A public service office that opens at 7.00am? Unthinkable in Australia: there’d be endless union complaints and a requirement that staff be paid penalty rates, ie double pay.
@Paolo Service NSW which handles things like drivers licenses etc, is open 7-7 Mon-Fri in central Sydney. This is the NSW Government.
Just do not go to the Passport agency in nyc. Make an appointment and still wait for five hours. Maybe they should move some of those workers to the nyc office.
so one is valid 10 years and the other 4 years? Can you confirm that?
It used to be a couple years ago that the 2nd was only valid 1 year, then later changed to 2 years…. Is it now 4 years for the 2nd? Thank you.
Just applied for 2nd passport here in Singapore. Current is 10, 2nd is 4.
Thanks!
Since one of these is only good for 4 years, I assume one of the passports is considered a continuation of the current filled passport.
Is this how they do it if you fill your passport? You have to get a new one? I’ve been in countries where they simply glued more pages onto the current pages if the passport was full.
Last March I discovered that I had lost my passport the night before I was to depart to Italy. So the very next morning I headed down to the West Side to rush a passport (no appointment, obviously) at this same passport office. I had to call our travel agency to change my outbound flight, but I still made it to LAX that very same day and arrived in Italy the following day, just as planned.
Having to wait outside at the Will-Call window was pretty brutal, however. And they rejected my old passport photos (my wife convinced me that it wouldn’t be a problem … I should have gone with my instincts). Anyways, if I recall correctly, I had to pay for the photos in cash, which I didn’t see mentioned above. (I didn’t think that the photos were that bad.) That’s another piece of useful information for anyone who should find themselves in a similar situation.
Does the passport agency accept credit card payment or do I need to bring personal checks?
Also if I apply for both passports on the same day, do I fill out one form or two forms?
Great blog! I am in a situation for which a second passport makes sense. I’m glad I found your post. Two questions:
1) Did you face any difficulty convincing passport office employees of your need for a second passport book?
2) Did US immigration ask about both passports when flying into the US? I wonder weather or not US immigration officers know if you already have another passport. If this is the case and you travel with only one passport and not both, what can you do if they ask you to show your second passport. I am just thinking about the potential issues this can create.
No trouble justifying second passport with a letter from my own company.
I’ve never been asked about both passports by DHS officials and both are recognized in the Global Entry system. I often only travel with one.
Thank you so much!