RIYADH, 2 July 2007 — Recent reports of four-month-long waits in the issuance of new US passports in the United States have caused concern among US citizens living in the Kingdom. With the vacation season in full swing and many airlines unwilling to accept passengers holding passports with less than six months validity, US expatriates in Saudi Arabia were worried that they might face difficulties in the event that they needed to renew a US passport.
A spokesperson for the US Embassy in Riyadh put those fears to rest. “American citizens residing in Saudi Arabia requesting normal renewals of unexpired passports are receiving their new passports in approximately 10-14 days,” the US Embassy stated. “The delays detailed in recent media reports are not affecting US passport issuances in Saudi Arabia.”
The spokesperson went on to explain that so long as the previous US passport is not expired, that passport is not canceled until the new passport arrives and the American citizen picks it up. This would enable American citizens living in the Kingdom to apply for a new passport and still continue with needed travel until the new passport is available.
The Consular Section of the US Embassy does encourage American citizens to apply for their new passports six months before the expiration of their current passports. This is to avoid last-minute complications with passport processing and issuance. Also, many countries will not grant visas on passports which are due to expire in less than six months.
For expectant parents, the US Embassy advised that passport issuances for US citizen babies born in Saudi Arabia take approximately the same amount of time as for a routine renewal, approximately 10-14 days. However, since the registration of birth forms sometimes requires extra time for processing, a few extra days may be needed before the passport is issued.
The US Consular Section reminds parents that passport applications for all children under the age of 14, must be signed by both parents.
