A passport for Christmas. This is the commitment made by the French consul in New York. Jérémie Robert is well aware that the French living in the United States are eager to reunite with their families and friends after a year and a half of health crisis and travel ban. « Each person who has to go to France for the end of the year celebrations will have a passport », he assures.
Proof of this mobilization, a “Passport Night” is being organized this Thursday, December 2 to respond to emergency situations: the consulate will remain exceptionally open from 6.30 p.m. to 11 p.m. with four agents available to receive passport renewal requests.
To get one of these evening dates, write to [email protected] by attaching the reservation of the plane ticket to their request. The consulate will then make an appointment for that evening or for one of the following days with the list of necessary documents. This address is also valid for any emergency request throughout the year.
The issuance of passports was delayed last year following three months of closure of the consulate, at the heart of the pandemic. « 4,800 passports were issued in 2019, 2,800 in 2020 due to the closure between March 19 and June 19, 2020. Passport applications submitted during this period had to be absorbed., explains Jérémie Robert. We got through the crisis with the service of the French at heart and our teams have always been there to issue passports. »
The consulate ensures that it has already worked hard since the end of September to deal with post-pandemic demands. « We offer 174 appointments per week, i.e. between 34 and 35 appointments per day », further specifies the consul. That’s 50% more appointments each week. The opening hours of the consulate have also been extended to add these new appointments: from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. from Tuesday to Thursday.
An advice : To make an appointment, it is better to log in at the end of the day, after 6 p.m., when new slots are offered. It takes two weeks of printing to obtain the passport.
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