December 22, 2015

Sweden vs USA: Passport Applications

Subtle User Workflow differences of a well-run government operation:

Applying for a Swedish passport for Astrid: Go to website, download a single 1-page document, make copy of Swedish passport and birth certificate, drop off at Consulate reception (Total time spent: 20 minutes)

Applying for a US passport: Go to website, print 2 redundant documents, hunt for drop off agency on poor navigation, call 5 places, none answer the phone, finally get through, wait on hold for 20 minutes to get appointment, fee pricing is impossible to predict, $165 or $300, photocopies not allowed, must request duplicate authentic birth certificate, actual government agency indicates an expected wait time of 30min to 1 hour, while passport expedite agencies offer 24 hour turnaround for a $200+ fee (Total time spent: 1.5 hours so far, who knows how many more to go).

I'm proud to be a citizen of both countries, but the US should take note of how to streamline their operations a little better.

Disclaimer: This could just be a San Francisco thing, which caters to a wide set of international populations.

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