Madison Square Station New York Post Office New York NY

91

This is a review of this PO as a US passport acceptance facility. A few weeks ago, I booked a flight to Denmark (I'm a sucker for deals on flights). Only problem, my passport was expired and the trip was only 4 weeks away!! I immediately researched my options and discovered that based on the government's criteria, I needed to apply for an new passport as if it was my first. SCARY!! Luckily, I found that if you have up to 3 weeks to spare, you can visit a passport acceptance facility with the required documents/paperwork and request expedited processing. I quickly filled out the required paperwork (DS-11, in my case; available online) and gathered the appropriate documents (expired passport, ID, copies of IDs, 2 passport photos). The next morning, I made my way to the nearest passport acceptance facility, which happened to be this PO (most of them tend to be POs). I came in at opening time (~ 9AM) on a weekday and made my way to the passport booth toward the back of the building. The metal gate was still down and the lights were off. I asked for assistance and they told me to just wait in line. I was a little annoyed since the website said the passport booth would be open at 9AM, so I decided to leave and grab breakfast. I returned at 10AM to find the booth still closed, now with 2-3 people in line. GREAT. Shortly after, an attendant opened up the booth for service and my experience got exponentially better. I did have to wait maybe 20 minutes for the people in front of me to finish, mainly because they didn't come prepared and argued with employees about it (typical experience at any government agency); though, as soon as it was my turn, it took less than 5 minutes to submit my documents and pay. The lady who helped me definitely new what she was doing. I found my new passport in my mailbox EXACTLY 10 DAYS from the day I submitted!!! I'm still shocked in came in so fast. I definitely recommend this PO to anyone in a similar situation. Some tips: 1) Go to the US passport website and figure out your situation. You may be eligible for renewal solely by mail, or you may even need to visit an actual passport agency (I hear it's worse than the DMV). Just make sure to do your research. 2) If a passport acceptance facility is...