Vice President, Retail and Post Office Operations
Applying for a Passport Just Got Easier
Convenience and great service are hallmarks of the Postal Service’s national retail network. With 95 percent of the population living within 5 miles of a Post Office, we are uniquely positioned to understand the needs of communities across the country. One prominent example is our popular passport application process, which has helped millions of Americans obtain their first passport. And this year, we are making it even easier with the introduction of walk-in hours at thousands of Post Offices locations across the nation.
USPS has been synonymous with passport applications for more than 50 years. Since the early 1970s, our successful partnership with the State Department has shone a light on our retail network’s unparalleled reach and championed our mission to deliver our services equally to every American. Last year alone, we processed more than 8.5 million passport applications, and we expect even greater volumes this year. And that doesn’t include passports that were renewed by mail, which has its own process.
If you are looking to apply for your first passport, the best way to start is with our simple-to-use USPS Retail Customer Appointment Scheduler tool, which can be found at www.usps.com. As I highlighted in my blog post from last year, in just a few clicks, we’ll have you booked for an in-person appointment at one of the more than 4,800 Post Office locations across the country. You can also book that appointment at a self-service kiosk at 2,200 USPS locations or call our customer care phone line at 1-800-ASK-USPS.
But we understand that sometimes your schedule might not work with ours, so this year, we’ve added even more convenience for our customers by offering at least three walk-in hours each week at every Post Office that processes passports.
The process is the same as it is for a scheduled appointment. First, go to our online passport resource and follow the instructions for filling out the application and gathering the necessary documents. Then, check on our appointment scheduler by date or location and you’ll find your nearest Post Office and the available walk-in hours. Once you arrive, a retail associate who is trained and experienced in handling the application process will be ready to help, and at most locations, we can even take your passport photo.
This added convenience is part of a broader mission under the Delivering for America® plan to make the Post Office a one-stop shop for essential services and a center of commerce for local businesses.
Our photo services illustrate our potential for meeting customer demand. Beyond passport photos, we are finding a growing need from our customers for professional portraits without the cost of a professional photographer. We already have the equipment and ability to offer quality photographs, so if you need an affordably priced picture that doesn’t look like a selfie, check our appointment scheduler, choose “Photo Services Only,” and we’ll find you a time that works for you.
And this is just the beginning. With the $4 billion of investments planned for our retail network under Delivering for America, we will be adding more of the products and services you need, all provided with world-class customer care in a modern, refreshed environment designed for the 21st century.
Elvin Mercado
Vice President, Retail and Post Office Operations