North and South Carolinians looking to go abroad will soon have a much closer, full-service passport agency.
The State Department announced Tuesday that Charlotte and several other cities will get a new passport office. While there are a number of acceptance facilities in Charlotte, they cannot quickly get people a passport or issue a new passport.
The full-service center, run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, offers the following services:
â–ª Regular service: first passports and renewal.
â–ª Replacement of lost/stolen passport
â–ª Fast-Track Service: expedited processing for those with urgent travel needs. For an additional fee you can obtain your passport within 14 days.
â–ª Same-day issuance: While not guaranteed, the agency offers the option of walking out with a passport on the day you apply.
Tuesday’s announcement did not say where the office will be located or when it will open. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Greater demand for US passports
Charlotte’s new agency comes amid a wave of international travel. According to the State Department, only 5% of Americans had passports in 1990. Today, that number has skyrocketed to nearly half the population. Last year alone, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs processed a record 24 million passport booklets and cards.
During the height of the pandemic, the wait time for a new passport grew to 13 weeks. But the backlog has disappeared, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. With more overtime and increasing staffing levels, the State Department has reduced wait times to pre-pandemic levels, according to the ministry’s website.
The new agency in Charlotte is different from the nearly 7,500 passport acceptance facilities across the country — such as one that opened uptown last year. Acceptance facilities, often located in post offices or local government offices, are fine for routine applications such as renewals. But they offer limited services and mail applications for processing, which takes six to eight weeks.
The new Charlotte location is just one of six new agencies announced Tuesday. The Department of State will open new locations in Salt Lake City, Utah, Kansas City, Mo., Orlando, Florida, San Antonio, Texas, and Cincinnati, Ohio. Once opened, the total number of passport offices will reach 36.
HOW TO APPLY FOR A NEW PASSPORT
These are the materials you will need when applying for a new passport:
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A passport application form
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Proof of US citizenship that is original or certified, physical copy (birth certificate, naturalization certificate, certificate of citizenship)
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Photocopy of proof of citizenship (must be on standard white paper measuring 8.5 inches by 11 inches)
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Current ID (driver’s license, government ID, US military ID, etc.)
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Photocopy of ID Passport photo (color photo taken in the past 6 months)
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The full list of photo requirements can be found here.
Additional documents are required to obtain a passport for children aged 16 and under. These requirements can be found at travel.state.gov/.
