US passport renewal

[Aguaita29]

Recently the Embassy announced a new thursday appointment service.

Have a U.S. passport that you would like to renew? Don’t want to have to deal with long lines at the Embassy? You may be eligible for our new Thursday afternoon appointments if you meet these criteria:

You have a passport that is not damaged; and
It was issued within the past 15 years; and
You were at least age 16 when it was issued; and
Still have the same name in your most recent passport (or you can legally document your name change)
If you find yourself eligible for this new passport renewal appointment opportunity,just take the following steps:

Send us an email at SDOPassportRENEWALS@state.gov with your full name, date of birth, and current passport number.
You will receive an email reply with your confirmed appointment date and time.
Follow the directions in the email regarding what documents to bring.
Arrive on your scheduled appointment day and time
It’s that easy! Please remember that this process is not for emergency or imminent travel.

https://do.usembassy.gov/thursday-afternoon-passport-appointments

 

[Aguaita29]

When we were packing for the trip to Dominicana, I noticed my daughter's USA passport was expired by a few months, so we used her Dominican passport for the trip south and had to renew the USA passport in Santo Domingo.

It is outrageous that the bureaucrats require people to go on line to schedule an appointment, instead of consular staff assisting the customer by saying what appointments are available. I paid 5000 pesos to a private service located up the hill from the embassy, to handle the paperwork. I don't like that because I shouldn't have to pay 5000 pesos, and because now the private agency got copies of all our ID data. The 5000 peso fee is offset because it included passport photos, which we would otherwise have to pay for. Kinda like if the driver licence people require applicants to bring in their own photos, or the JCE people issuing cedulas.
.

You could have done it yourself. I've picked appointments and filled out these forms for other people several times.

 

[Wishing you well]

I understand there are instances of where time is valuable but, I just can't comprehend why would anyone pay for this type of services?

I've always filled out all of my own forms, every time was time to renew my passport. Why pay someone to fill out your own information on an English form?

 

[bigbird]

I understand there are instances of where time is valuable but, I just can't comprehend why would anyone pay for this type of services?

I've always filled out all of my own forms, every time was time to renew my passport. Why pay someone to fill out your own information on an English form?

Ok, wishing you well. My situation ........ My printer is still in a cardboard box somewhere in the so called maid's room. I moved into a different apartment back in June and still have stuff I never unpacked. So for me it would mean finding the right box to unpack my printer, more than likely having to run off to Office Depot for ink, blah, blah, blah......

Now let's say printer is up an running I still need to find a place to take the passport photos. "comprende?"

For me it was clearly a simple case of one stop shopping with a guarantee everything was in order. Don't be so quick to bash others when you don't know the full details.

I also believe the OP had his own personal reason for using the service.

 

[Wishing you well]

Ok, wishing you well. My situation ........ My printer is still in a cardboard box somewhere in the so called maid's room. I moved into a different apartment back in June and still have stuff I never unpacked. So for me it would mean finding the right box to unpack my printer, more than likely having to run off to Office Depot for ink, blah, blah, blah......

Now let's say printer is up an running I still need to find a place to take the passport photos. "comprende?"

For me it was clearly a simple case of one stop shopping with a guarantee everything was in order. Don't be so quick to bash others when you don't know the full details.

I also believe the OP had his own personal reason for using the service.

I get it BB - nothing directed at you personally nor anyone in specific, notice I mentioned that there are times where a paid service is indeed the best and perhaps the only option. Though, with that said - there are way too many pay to go services offered in the DR for embassy and traveliing purposes.

It fits well for the uneducated and coming from the campo Dominican but to an expat with full understanding of English, time and equipment - why not DIY it?

 

[bigbird]

...........It fits well for the uneducated and coming from the campo Dominican but to an expat with full understanding of English, time and equipment - why not DIY it?

Did you miss the part my printer is in a cardboard box from moving? Uber here, Uber there plus buying an ink cartridge I most likely broke even.

Not every expat has access to a printer,,,,,,,,,

If I was stateside and was not pressed for time I would have done like in the past for all things and done it myself.

One stop shopping and in this instance well worth it!

 

[bigbird]

I get it BB - nothing directed at you personally nor anyone in specific, notice I mentioned that there are times where a paid service is indeed the best and perhaps the only option. Though, with that said - there are way too many pay to go services offered in the DR for embassy and traveliing purposes.

It fits well for the uneducated and coming from the campo Dominican but to an expat with full understanding of English, time and equipment - why not DIY it?

From my one time experience I would think these services get an expat one out of 1,000 as clients. Apparently they are in demand for the barrio/campo Dominican and do a thriving business. The three or four firms in that plaza open at 6 AM and less than a five minute walk to the Embassy. A Dom could walk in there at opening time with what ID and info needed and be on their way with all documents in hand arriving at the Embassy opening hour.

While I was standing in line for the Embassy to open there was a little league baseball team in line. The coach (I guess) had each kids documents in hand all in perfect order. No need for me to guess but they must have used a similar service.

 

[SomebodySmart]

juridiciovisa was able to complete and print out all the forms I needed plus they took the passport photos. It was a small fee for what they did and to me well worth it. The way my luck has been running if I did it on my own I might have missed a form or did the wrong one and show up at the Embassy to be told make another appointment and come back. This was for a lost passport so no time to take chances.

There are three or four firms in that plaza and they all seem to be busy. Most likely they mainly do Visa, spouse to USA type of stuff for Dominicans. The original poster of this thread also used them for most likely the same reason to make sure the paperwork was in order.

Actually, it was quicker than finding an internet café. Juridico Visa did the job well. (Of course, in all fairness, this does not mean they are better than the others there. Maybe another would be better or less expensive. We have nothing to compare. )
This forum is sponsored by Guzman Ariza, Attorneys at Law, but I suspect they prefer to spend their time on things more challenging than filling out passport applications, so I reckon it is okay to mention these other offices.

 

[USA DOC]

...is Dom-EX delivering your passport to your house?....if they are you will get it about the same time as a replacement medicare card that is delivered by Dominican post office......if you are wondering about Dom-Ex ability to deliver your passport to you ,just call their office ...the number is on your paperwork, you can call about forever without them answering the phone....same people I think run the post office..........Doc............

 

[SKY]

The only people I trust to deliver are local Colmados and Farmacias. They never miss.

 

[USA DOC]

Ok, wishing you well. My situation ........ My printer is still in a cardboard box somewhere in the so called maid's room. I moved into a different apartment back in June and still have stuff I never unpacked. So for me it would mean finding the right box to unpack my printer, more than likely having to run off to Office Depot for ink, blah, blah, blah......

Now let's say printer is up an running I still need to find a place to take the passport photos. "comprende?"

For me it was clearly a simple case of one stop shopping with a guarantee everything was in order. Don't be so quick to bash others when you don't know the full details.

I also believe the OP had his own personal reason for using the service.

....the embassy has a office to take your photos.....no waiting as I think nobody knows its there....

 

[bigbird]

Surprise, surprise, surprise ............ Back in the USA and have all printing devices readily available. USA immigration gave me a little hassle reentering the USA with the temporary passport. Although the temporary is good for a year I will do forms today, passport photo, and mail out next day delivery.

Here is the surprise. The form automatically generates the fee. My total fee is $75.89 which includes expedited processing and two day return delivery. The $140 I paid at the USA Embassy in Santo Domingo covered the cost of the temporary passport and the cost of a new 10 year permanent passport. I double checked the fees online and it consistently generates $75.89.

 

[Wishing you well]

Surprise, surprise, surprise ............ Back in the USA and have all printing devices readily available. USA immigration gave me a little hassle reentering the USA with the temporary passport. Although the temporary is good for a year I will do forms today, passport photo, and mail out next day delivery.

Here is the surprise. The form automatically generates the fee. My total fee is $75.89 which includes expedited processing and two day return delivery. The $140 I paid at the USA Embassy in Santo Domingo covered the cost of the temporary passport and the cost of a new 10 year permanent passport. I double checked the fees online and it consistently generates $75.89.

Fill, print, sign, mail and wait.

EASY as that.

 

[bigbird]

Fill, print, sign, mail and wait.

EASY as that.

yes i know, i have done it in the past. makes a BIG difference when you have a printer available.

 

[bigbird]

....the embassy has a office to take your photos.....no waiting as I think nobody knows its there....

OK, but that still doesn't solve how do I print the forms when my printer was not up and running? I still stick by my guns and the situation I was in it turned out easier and probably less expensive to do one stop shopping. I could spend half a day or more running around town getting ink, photos, whereas I was in and out of that office in under an hour.

 

[SKY]

What is the price for this service anyway? Cannot be a whole lot to warrant this huge discussion. If it saved time and aggravation it most likely was well worth it.

 

[bigbird]

What is the price for this service anyway? Cannot be a whole lot to warrant this huge discussion. If it saved time and aggravation it most likely was well worth it.

Thank-you sir. I paid 3,000 pesos for the complete package (forms and photos) plus the office safe guarded by cell phone twice while I went to the Embassy. Cell phones not permitted in the Embassy.

One Stop Shopping.........

 

[SKY]

Thank-you sir. I paid 3,000 pesos for the complete package (forms and photos) plus the office safe guarded by cell phone twice while I went to the Embassy. Cell phones not permitted in the Embassy.

One Stop Shopping.........

So to save a big $60 people want you to jump through hoops. I would pay it even if I had a printer.

 

[bigbird]

So to save a big $60 people want you to jump through hoops. I would pay it even if I had a printer.

Yes Sir, jump through hoops would be their desire which is why I continued to rattle on and defend my decision.

 

[SKY]

Some people on this board throw around money like manhole covers in Manhattan.