Have you ever wondered how a new passport is made? In this video from the US State Department, the State Department Under  Secretary for Management Patrick F Kennedy describes the process of making  a new passport.

The raw material used to make the outside of a passport book is actually produced overseas, because the State Department couldn’t find an American firm to manufacture the radio frequency identification (RFID)  chips that are installed in all new passports.  However, according to the video, the only step in producing a US passport that takes place overseas is manufacturing the plastic covers with their embedded RFID chips.

The covers are sent to the US, cut to the appropriate size, and the chips are formatted. Then, pages are installed in the new passport books and printed with the appropriate lettering and design. After that, the blank passport books are shipped to one of the regional passport processing facilities. Once your application is received and approved, your personal information and photo will be printed on the passport. The RFID chip is also loaded with your information, as well as with encryption and security features that keep the data from being altered or read by unauthorized parties. Then, it is sent back to you.

Currently, it’s taking at least 6 weeks to process a passport application with regular service and at least 3 weeks for expedited service from the government.  If all the government has to do to issue a new passport is to put your data on a blank passport book, why does it take so long to get one?

Simply put, the US Department of State gets a lot of passport applications. Even after your application arrives at the passport processing center, you still have to wait your turn to have it processed.  A private passport expediting company can put your application at the top of the stack, so you get a much faster turnaround time without the hassle and bother of going down to the Regional Passport Agency office yourself.  With an expediting company, your passport can be processed in as little as 24 hours!

Don’t waste time waiting-order your new passport today!