Monday, December 2nd
2024 Passport Service Reviews
Passports and Visas
- Offers expedited and regular passport services for first-time applications, renewals, lost/stolen passports, name changes, and children's passports
- Applications can be done in as little as 3 business days
- Prices range from $149 to $399 (plus government fees and shipping costs)
- Offices in DC, Miami, LA, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Denver
- In business since 1992
- Over 9,000 5-star reviews
- Over 2 million clients
Passports and Visas got its start in Atlanta in 1992 and has since grown to have over 5,400 employees worldwide, serving clients in 160 countries. Not only does this company help individual clients like you, but they've worked with big names like the LPGA and Make-A-Wish with their passport and visa needs. Makes you wonder who some of the big names might be among their more than 2 million clients, right?
Personal touch
No matter which passport service you need, from a first-time application to getting one for your child, you'll be able to do that here. Passports and Visas assign a "Personal Concierge Passport Account Manager” to every client, and they're happy to say that your application could be done in as little as three business days.
Competitive prices on services
You're also going to be pleasantly surprised at how affordable Passports and Visas services are. Take a look:
- New Passports: keep in mind that these timeframes are from the day that your passport application paperwork is received by Passports and Visas, after you've visited with a passport acceptance facility or agency in person (and you'll pay separate governmental fees at that time)
- Passport Renewals: we were a little confused, because the pricing chart looked exactly like the one for New Passports, but the description said that prices started at $179. But, everything is clearly spelled out when you click on the turnaround time you'd like: for the slowest speed, our total came to $229.90, with $149 for the service fee, $7.95 for the digital photo service, $14.95 for passport service protection, and a shipping fee of $58 (for sending the paperwork to them and sending the passport back to us). That doesn't include the State Department fees that you'll need to pay too.
Pay attention to the add-on services
Some services that you might see added on are mandatory (like the shipping costs), but others are optional. You may need to uncheck a box or two before you enter payment information; maybe you don't need the digital photo service (because you already got photos taken at the drugstore) or you're not worried about having expedited processing in the future if your passport gets lost, stolen, or damaged. No problem. You also have the option to add a document pre-check service for $49 (if you're worried about getting the details right), or the VIP Passport Concierge Service for $99. We'd like to tell you more about that last bit, but the link to the details was broken during our visit to Passports and Visas.
Great reputation overall
How about reputation? Passports and Visas has a disappointing "F” grade from the Better Business Bureau, for not responding to 35 of the 37 complaints filed there in the last three years. On the other hand, only four of those were from the last 12-month period, and reviews left on Trustpilot within the past year are almost all five stars. On that platform, Passports and Visas has earned over 9,000 five-star ratings and an average of 4.1 stars. That's pretty impressive. Most people get excellent service here, going so far as to name specific reps who handled their passport renewal or first-time application with promptness and speed. You'll find a few Passports and Visas clients who had the opposite experience, but overall this service is doing a fantastic job.
Big jump in our rankings due to improvements
All of this combines to earn Passports and Visas a higher rating than in our previous evaluation, moving up to a high score from us now. While we're not thrilled about the lack of responses to BBB complaints, we feel comfortable taking the word of over 9,000 happy clients who had nothing but love for this company when getting a passport.
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The process for getting passports was massively impacted by the pandemic, with processing times and requirements devolving as the world adjusted to new travel norms. During the height of the pandemic, passport processing was severely disrupted. Many passport agencies were closed or operating with reduced staff, leading to massive backlogs and long waits for travelers needing to renew or obtain new passports.
While the situation has improved, there are still some lingering effects that travelers should be aware of. Now, standard passport processing times have stabilized somewhat but remain longer than pre-pandemic levels. On average, it can still take anywhere from 10 to 13 weeks to receive a passport after submitting your application through traditional methods (like going to the post office or another passport acceptance facility).
Passport Service FAQ
Continued from above...
If you opt for expedited processing through that route, you might reduce the wait time to around 7 to 9 weeks. This still represents a significant delay compared to the pre-pandemic era when standard processing typically took 6 to 8 weeks, and expedited processing was often completed in 2 to 3 weeks. It's no wonder that passport expediting services have become increasingly important.
Expedited passport services are designed to help travelers who need to obtain their passports more quickly than the standard or expedited processing times offered by the U.S. Department of State. Expediting services work by leveraging their connections and knowledge of the process to submit applications directly to the agencies that handle passports. They often have the ability to secure appointments at passport agencies, which are otherwise difficult to obtain. However, it's important to understand that these services do not magically cut the processing times in half. On rare occasions, they can help you get a passport in as little as 24 hours in cases of emergency or urgent travel, but more typically within 1 to 3 weeks.
Of course, these services come at a premium, with costs varying depending on how quickly you need the passport and the specific provider. It's also worth noting that even with an expediting service, you still need to have all your documents in order and be prepared to pay additional government fees.
So, which passport service can get your passport to you fast? And which ones will just cause you extra stress and delays? Here are some criteria to help you choose the right one for your needs:
- Services offered. Most passport services can help with all kinds of applications, from new passports and renewals, to replacing lost or stolen ones. Just double-check to make sure the specific kind you need is on their list.
- Available timeframes. "Expedited” means different things to different passport services. If you've got a trip coming up and you didn't realize you needed to have six months left on your passport for it to be accepted, you need "expedited” to mean a timeframe that lets you get on that plane or cruise ship. Pay attention to when the promised timeframe begins: for many expedited services, the clock starts ticking only when they receive your paperwork, which doesn't count for any time needed to go to a passport acceptance facility in person (which is needed for most new passport applications for identity verification).
- Fees. Make sure you understand what's included and what's not. Most passport services don't automatically include the fees charged by the State Department (though some do).
- Reputation. What have clients said about the overall experience with the passport service? Did "expedited” really mean a fast turnaround time? Was there clear communication throughout and on-time delivery, or did documents go missing? Check out customer reviews and Better Business Bureau ratings before you commit to any particular passport service.
Ready to see the world? All that's left is your passport, and so the travel fans at Top Consumer Reviews have reviewed and ranked today's most popular services from first to worst. Whether you just want some help making sure you've dotted the "i”s and crossed the "t”s or you need someone to fly to the rescue and get your passport in hand as fast as possible, our info will connect you with a passport service where "expedited” isn't just a lofty goal but a promise kept. Bon voyage!
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