Passmere is a private company, not a government agency. This guide is free information, not legal advice. Each fact links to the official source and shows the date we checked it.
How-to
Track your U.S. passport application status
Where to check your passport status, when the first update appears, what to do if the State Department writes to you, and when your documents come back.
Where to check your status
The official place to check is under review — see the official source1. Enter your details exactly as they are on your application. Updates also go to the email address you wrote on the form, so watch your inbox and your spam folder.
It can take under review — see the official source2 between the day you mail your application and the first "In Process" status. Until then, the site may not find your application yet. That alone does not mean something is wrong.
When the State Department writes to you
under review — see the official source5Read the letter or email carefully, send exactly what it asks for, and keep a copy of your answer. A photo that does not meet the rules is a common reason for a request: see Passport photo requirements.
When your passport and documents arrive
Your new passport arrives first. Your supporting documents, such as your old passport or birth certificate, come in a separate envelope up to under review — see the official source3 later.
Check your new passport as soon as it arrives. under review — see the official source6 For details, read Passport name change.
Who to call
Call the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at under review — see the official source4. Have your application details at hand when you call.
For a life-or-death emergency outside business hours, the number is under review — see the official source7.
If your trip is close
under review — see the official source8Read Urgent travel: getting a passport fast for the next steps.
Step by step
- Keep your mailing receipt or tracking number and a copy of your whole application.
- Wait for the first status; it can take under review — see the official source2 from the day you mail it.
- Watch your email, including the spam folder, for updates.
- Check the official status site with the details from your application.
- If you get a letter or email asking for more information, answer it before the deadline.
- When the passport arrives, check every detail on it right away.
- Wait for your documents, which come back separately.
Checklist
Keep this at hand
- Mailing receipt or tracking number
- A copy of the application and of everything you sent
- The email address you used on the form
- Your travel date, if you have one
- Any letter or email from the State Department, with its date
- Notes from each call: date, time and what you were told
Do and don't
Do
- Check your status only on the official site.
- Answer any request for information quickly and keep a copy.
- Check your new passport for mistakes as soon as it arrives.
Don't
- Don't pay a website to track or speed up your application. under review — see the official source9
- Don't ignore a letter or email from the State Department.
- Don't worry if your status is not there in the first days after you mail your application.
Frequently asked questions
My status says nothing yet. Is something wrong?
Probably not. It can take under review — see the official source2 from the day you mail your application until the first "In Process" status.
How long do I have to answer a letter?
When do I get my old passport or birth certificate back?
Separately from the new passport, by mail, up to under review — see the official source3 after it.
Who can I call about my application?
The National Passport Information Center (NPIC), at under review — see the official source4.
Can Passmere check my status for me?
No. Passmere prepares your paperwork, but you submit the application yourself, so you follow it on the official site, under review — see the official source1.
Sources and verification
- Official application status site — U.S. Department of State: Get Your Processing Time. under review — see the official source
- Time until the first "In Process" status — U.S. Department of State: Renew Your Passport by Mail. under review — see the official source
- Return of your supporting documents — U.S. Department of State: Renew Your Passport by Mail. under review — see the official source
- National Passport Information Center (NPIC) — U.S. Department of State: Get a Passport If You Have a Life-or-Death Emergency. under review — see the official source
- Answering a request for more information — U.S. Department of State: Renew Your Passport Online. under review — see the official source
- Correcting a data or printing error — U.S. Department of State: Change or Correct a Passport. under review — see the official source
- After-hours number for life-or-death emergencies — U.S. Department of State: Get a Passport If You Have a Life-or-Death Emergency. under review — see the official source
- Urgent travel: passport agency appointment — U.S. Department of State: Get Your Passport Fast. under review — see the official source
- Unofficial renewal websites — U.S. Department of State: Renew Your Passport Online. under review — see the official source