Anyone use DHL for U.S. Passport retrieval?

[Patrick]

Has anyone used DHL to send an expiring U.S. Passport to the U.S. Embassy with the paperwork showing that the new Passport was paid for and have the new Passport returned by DHL?

If so, what DHL office was used. David or Boquete?

Any information that would be helpful?

Thanks

[Patrick]

Thank you all for responding to my posts. One other important thing. You need to schedule an appointment on the Embassy website and they will give you a selection of dates and times available. It is usually a week in advance (it was for me) and I picked the first time slot (08:30 a.m.) available on a Thursday. Now I arrived at the Embassy at 8 a.m. and there was a long line of people waiting to enter. These people are people applying for a Visa, not for passports. I went to the front of the line and told the guard I was there for a new passport and he let me in and tole me to go left after the checkpoint and take a number from a machine, Lucky me, my number was 001, the only one there for a passport and at 8:15 a.m. a young lady appeared at the window and flashed my number on the screen above the window. It was over in a couple of minutes and my private taxi guy, John Pauli, e-mail:  [e-mail] phone:  [phone], took me to the Albrook Terminal to catch the 9:00 a.m. bus back to David. I have used John Pauli for years, as a matter of fact he has stayed in my house in Boquete with his beautiful lady a few years ago. He comes highly recommended. Also, F.Y.I., I stayed at the Marbella Hotel in El Congrajo with a week day rate of $54. including tax for  me and my wife. It is only $44. for one person. A good clean hotel in a nice area and we met my wife's cousin and we all went down the block to Manolo's Restraint for an excellent meal. The bus trip going and returning back was pure Hell!!!

[Robert Berding]

David is faster.

[Patrick]

I am trying to avoid another trip to Panama City. I made that trip last week with the new passport document and one photo and paid the $110. processing fee. Going and coming back from PC took around 9 hours each way what with all the construction.

I believe this is the procedure:

1. The Embassy will  advise me by e-mail when my new passport is ready.

2. At that time I can send a DHL envelope with the DHL prepaid envelope and my current passport  to the Embassy.

3. The Embassy will return the prepaid envelope with my new passport and cancelled  passport  enclosed. 

4. The best DHL office is the one located in David? Can someone give me the directions?

Is this the correct procedure?

[Debbie Wilson]

Correct procedure. Can't really give directions to DHL, but it is a block from CitiBank and not too far from Rodelag. The clerk there knows exactly what to do and will provide the tracking information.

[Lynn Garrett]

How would I find out when an outreach trip might be scheduled? Local contact? Or call embassy in PC?

Mail Boxes has forms? forms for passport? or forms for return of new passport from PC?

I was also wondering about renewing by mail in the U.S., using my sister's address in California... Has anyone done that?

Two, otherwise useless trips to PC, seems like cruel and unusual punishment...

[Judy Sacco]

Lynn, Mail Boxes has the DHL forms.  You get the passport forms from the embassy website, American Citizens Services.  You can email or call them to ask when the next outreach is.

http://panama.usembassy.gov/renewal_-_adults.html

Worst case, you make only one trip to PC, not two.  Use DHL to get the new passport back to you.  You do not have to go to PC to get it.

Arrocha does passport photos.

[Patrick]

Thanks Judy, I have an account at Mail Boxes and went in today to pick up my mail and they can handle everything.

Patrick

[Patrick]

HI Lynn: I would contact the Citizen Services of the Embassy with that question at  [e-mail]

The form is easily available on the Internet and can be filled out online and printed out. You will need to make a trip to the Embassy with the filled out form, one passport sized photo, 2"x2", the photographer  across the street from the Bombaros, behind the restaurant  can do it. I had two made for $3.00. and cash or a credit card for $110.

I don't see how you could do the new passport procedure using your sister as you have to show your current passport, supply a passport sized photo and pay $110. by credit card or cash. 

I don't see any way around one useless trip to PC which is cruel and unusual punishment.

 

[Lynn Garrett]

Thanks Patrick.

I was thinking since you can do it all by mail in the U.S., that I might send my passport and photo and forms and payment to the U.S. (perhaps via my sister, if necessary), have them sent back to my sister, and have her send them on to me. I don't think you need to show up in person in the U.S.... Hmmm... maybe they'd check where my last passport entry was, and not do if I was/am in Panama...

Of course, two other potential risks... not having my passport on me here for that amount of time... but only a problem if leaving the country... and the potential for the passport/s to be way-laid in transit either direction...

But might be worth the risk... compared to 2 painful days of travel, maybe 2 nights and various meals and taxis in PC...

[Debbie Wilson]

I personally would not want to be separated from my passport that long, especially if there was no way to track it. Our new passports were ready at the embassy in a week then took another week to get them via DHL.