Start by checking your application status and travel date. What you should do next depends on whether the application is still processing, the State Department has asked for more information, the passport has already been mailed, or your trip is getting close.
If you will travel internationally within 14 days and have already applied, call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778. If the passport was mailed more than two weeks ago and never arrived, call the same number for Form DS-86 instructions.
Call the National Passport Information Center first because you have already applied. If the pending application cannot be completed before departure, attend a regional passport agency appointment, or contact a registered passport courier service for personalized support and help with the logistics available in your situation.
Find Your Situation and What to Do Next
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No status and you applied less than two weeks ago | The application can still be in transit or waiting to enter the State Department system. | Wait until two weeks have passed, and keep any mailing or acceptance-facility receipt. |
| No status after two weeks | The application may not have arrived, or there may be an error. | Check whether payment was processed. Contact USPS or the acceptance facility when appropriate, then call NPIC if payment was processed but no status appears. |
| In Process and travel is more than 14 days away | The application is being reviewed. | Call NPIC to request expedited service or 1- to 3-day return delivery. Approval is not guaranteed. |
| In Process and travel is within 14 days | The pending application may not be completed before departure. | Call NPIC. The State Department may notify the processing agency or arrange an urgent appointment if one is available. |
| Passport Mailed less than two weeks ago | The passport is in the delivery process. | Review the tracking information and allow the stated delivery window. |
| Passport Mailed more than two weeks ago | The passport may be lost in the mail. | Call NPIC for Form DS-86 instructions. Submit the form within 120 days of the passport’s issue date. |
| Letter or email requesting more information | Processing is paused until the State Department receives the requested item. | Follow the instructions and respond as soon as possible. |
What You Can and Cannot Do While the Application Is Pending
Do
- Check your status and email updates. Watch for a request for more information and respond using the instructions the State Department provides.
- Call NPIC if your travel plans change. When eligible, you may be able to request expedited service or 1- to 3-day delivery for a passport book.
- Keep your receipts, tracking information, and application locator number. They can help if the application or delivery is delayed.
- Research your destination. You can check visa and entry requirements for U.S. citizens while you wait.
- Review cancellation and change rules for upcoming travel. Build in flexibility until the passport is actually in hand.
Do not
- Do not submit a duplicate passport application just because the first one is taking longer than expected. Follow the State Department’s instructions for the pending application.
- Do not treat an estimated processing or delivery date as a guarantee. Processing and mailing times can change.
- Do not assume the passport you submitted or one that has been cancelled or replaced is available for travel. Use only a valid passport that is in your possession and accepted for your itinerary.
- Do not make an irreversible travel commitment based only on an estimated passport date. Check refund and change rules before paying for flights, lodging, tours, or other nonrefundable arrangements.
Some visa applications require a valid passport number or the physical passport. Check the destination’s visa and entry requirements before applying for a visa while your passport application is still pending.
If Your Status Is Missing or Still Says In Process
Use the State Department’s Passport Application Status portal. You will need the applicant’s last name, date of birth, and last four digits of the Social Security number.
Status can take up to two weeks to appear after you apply. If it has been more than two weeks:
- If payment has not been processed, use your mailing tracking number or contact the acceptance facility to help locate the application.
- If payment has been processed but no status appears, call NPIC at 1-877-487-2778.
- If the application says “In Process,” compare the date it entered processing with the service level you requested.
- If it says “Passport Mailed,” open the tracking information rather than relying only on the status date.
Routine processing is 4 to 6 weeks, and expedited processing is 2 to 3 weeks. Those times cover review at a passport agency or center. Mailing can add time before processing begins and after the passport is mailed.
If the State Department Asked for More Information
A passport application can stop moving when the State Department needs another document, a corrected form, a new photo, or additional information. Read the notice carefully and use the response method listed in it. The State Department says applicants must respond within 90 days of the date on the letter or email.
Respond to that request rather than starting over with a second application. Follow the response instructions in the letter or email.
Check email filters and physical mail.
Look for messages from the State Department and review spam or junk folders. The request can arrive by email or postal mail.
If Travel Is More Than 14 Days Away and You Want Faster Service
Call NPIC to ask whether the pending application can be upgraded from routine to expedited service. The expedited-service fee is $60.
You can also request 1- to 3-day return delivery for a passport book. The current fee is $26.87. This option shortens delivery after the passport is printed; it does not shorten the application review itself. Passport cards are sent by First Class Mail and do not qualify for faster return delivery.
The State Department will send payment instructions if it accepts the request. An upgrade request does not guarantee that the passport will arrive by a specific date.
If You Travel Within 14 Days
When you have already applied and will travel internationally within 14 days, call NPIC at 1-877-487-2778. Have the application locator number, applicant’s name and date of birth, and proof of international travel available.
If there is enough time, NPIC can notify the agency or center reviewing the application. If that application cannot be completed before travel, NPIC can try to schedule a passport agency appointment. Appointments are required and are not guaranteed.
Do not book a second government appointment through a third-party appointment seller. The State Department does not charge for passport agency appointments.
If the Passport Was Mailed but Never Arrived
If the State Department says the passport was mailed and it has not arrived after more than two weeks, call NPIC. The representative will provide instructions for completing Form DS-86, Statement of Non-Receipt of a U.S. Passport.
Submit Form DS-86 within 120 days of the date the passport was issued. After that deadline, you must submit a new application and pay the required fees.
Do not report a passport as missing while it is still within the normal delivery window.
Once the State Department accepts a non-receipt report and replaces the passport, the original document is no longer valid if it later arrives.
Where a Registered Passport Courier May Help
A registered courier cannot take control of a pending application or force the State Department to finish it sooner. Contact NPIC first when an application is already in process.
A courier can still provide personalized support, review the facts of the case, explain whether a separate agency-submission option is available, and handle permitted logistics when the company has service availability. Couriers charge their own fees in addition to government fees and do not control adjudication or guarantee a fixed turnaround time.
Compare registered services in our passport expediter directory, and review what an expediter can and cannot do.
Delayed Passport FAQs
Status can take up to two weeks to appear after submission. If payment was processed but no status appears after two weeks, call NPIC.
You can call NPIC to request an upgrade to expedited service. The fee is $60, and acceptance of the request does not guarantee delivery by your travel date.
Call NPIC at 1-877-487-2778 because you have already applied. The State Department may contact the processing agency or schedule an urgent appointment if one is available.
Review the tracking information. If more than two weeks have passed since mailing, call NPIC for Form DS-86 instructions.
Submit it within 120 days of the passport’s issue date. After 120 days, you must reapply and pay the required fees.
A courier cannot take over or force faster action on an application already in process. Contact NPIC first. A courier can explain whether another permitted agency-service option is available and help with the related logistics.
No. The State Department does not reimburse missed-travel expenses. You can request a refund of the $60 expedite fee only when you paid for expedited service and the application was not processed within the expedited commitment.
Last reviewed: September 25, 2026.
Our role: We explain the steps available when a passport application or delivery is delayed. The State Department controls application processing, appointments, replacement decisions, and delivery options.
