Athens City Passport Offices – Where to Submit a Passport Application in Athens City, Georgia

Athens residents can apply for a passport at the nearest post office in their neighborhood or the county. In Athens, there are five post offices with certified agents who are trained to accept applications. These agents will revise your application to make sure you are using the correct form, have the supporting documents, and the fee before receiving your documents. Once everything is in order, all the documents are packaged and sent to a processing center. The price is determined on which of the two processing option you select. The two possibilities are routine and expedited.

Athens Post Office Services

Routine Processing

Routine processing is the same as standard processing. It is considered the usual way that most people the choice to process a passport application. The process entails the application gets submitted to the post office. Once accepted, the documents are sent to a processing facility. At the facility, it usually takes 4-6 weeks before you receive the new passport in the mail. It can sometimes take longer than six weeks if the facility has to process are a large number of applications. Another reason is when the region has severe weather conditions that may stop mail from coming and going. However, you will still get your document. The cost for this service is $115.00 for a minor passport and $145.00 for an adult passport.

Expedited Processing

Expedited processing is similar to routine handling when it comes to accepting the documents. However, when the package is sent to the processing facility, it is shipped overnight, and the application put as a rush priority. This gives the processing authority notification that the passport process must be rush. The process is sped up, and now you will have your new passport in 2-3 weeks. Rushing the process will cost more than the regular processing of 4-6 weeks.

This process is used by individuals who need a passport sooner than four weeks. To be qualified for expedited service, you must provide proof of international travel that must be within two to three weeks. Your itinerary can be the evidence used to get approval. The cost for this service is $175.00 for a minor passport and $205.00 for an adult passport.

Other Acceptance Facilities in Athens City

In Athens, the post office is not the only acceptance facility that exists. Other locations are a courthouse, county clerk’s office, and public library. For example, if you live near The Athens Regional Library, you can drop off your application. Unlike the post offices with more extended operating hours, these other acceptance facilities do not have extended hours. For this reason, you may experience a long waiting time when you visit one of them to drop off your application. Also, you can only get routine processing at all three and not expedited. So, be aware of the operating hours and the service offer before going.

Knowing where to apply makes it easier to start the process. So, if your passport expired or is about to be terminated, start by getting your supporting documents and fee together so that you may have a new one to travel internationally. Don’t wait the last minute because it can cost twice as much if you have to select expedited processing to get it.