Check the Status of a Passport Application

Passport processing times depend on the country where you applied. To check the status of your application, find the appropriate office telephone number or website. If your passport never arrives, then follow up with the appropriate office.

Steps

Checking the Status of a U.S. Passport

1. Call. You can speak to a customer service representative at the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 or 1-888-874-7793 (TTY). The hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 10:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. On Saturdays, the hours are 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
   • You will need to provide your name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security Number.
2. Check online. Visit the U.S. Passport Application Status website here: https://passportstatus.state.gov/opss/OPSS_Status_ip.asp. Read the disclaimers and indicate that you have read them. You will then enter your date of birth, last name, and the last four digits of your Social Security Number.
   • You need to wait 7-10 business days after you apply before you can track your application online.
   • If you want automatic email updates, you can enter your email address after you locate your application.
3. Complete Form DS-86 if you don’t receive the passport. If your passport has been mailed but you don’t receive it within 10 days, then you should call the National Passport Information Center. They will help you complete Form DS-86.
   • Don’t delay. If you wait more than 90 days from the date the passport was issued, then you’ll need to reapply and pay the full fee again.

Requesting the Status of a Canadian Passport

1. Wait five or ten days. You can’t check the status immediately after you apply. Instead, you must wait at least five days if you applied in person at a Passport Canada Office or after 10 days in all other situations.
2. Provide information online. Visit https://www.pptc.gc.ca/service/contact/stat.aspx?lang=eng and provide the requested information, such as the following:
   • where you submitted your application
   • date of submission
   • mail tracking number
   • your name
   • date of birth
   • city of birth
   • home phone
   • email address
   • date of travel (optional)
3. Receive your results. It typically takes three business days for a passport status request to be processed. Status requests are processed Mondays through Fridays.

Checking the Status of a U.K. Passport

1. Track the status if you applied online and uploaded a digital photo. You’ll know you applied this way if your reference number begins with PEX. Visit this website: https://www.passport.service.gov.uk/track/. You can track the status immediately.
2. Check the status if you applied online and posted your form. You can check at the passport application service: https://passportapplication.service.gov.uk/ips-olc/. Log back into your account using the same username and password you used when you applied.
   • If you forgot your password, you can reset it.
   • You can track your application as soon as you have made it.
3. Track the status if you applied using a paper form. You must wait at least three weeks before you can check the status. Visit this website: https://passportofficeforms.service.gov.uk/_/track-application.ofml. You will need one of the following:
   • the 10-digit barcode number from the front of your application
   • the 9-digit number on your receipt if you applied at the Post Office.
4. Receive your passport. Generally, your passport will be delivered by courier between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm, Monday through Saturday. You typically do not need to sign for the passport.

Tracking the Status of an Australian Passport

1. Find your form number. This number should be printed on your receipt after you lodge your application. You will need it to track the progress of your passport application.
2. Check the status online. Visit https://ppol.passports.gov.au/Web/Appl/ApplEntryPoint.aspx and read the disclosure statement at the bottom of the page. If you have a PIN, then you can use it to track the passport application, but you can also track the progress using your form number.
3. Call if your passport doesn’t arrive. You should receive an email notifying you when your passport is ready to be mailed to you. Wait a week, and if you don’t receive it by then, call the Australian Passport Information Service (APIS) at 131 232.

Sources and Citations

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