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Category: Emergency U.S. Passport

Passport Expediting – How Can You Get a Passport Quickly?

If you are in a rush, you do not have enough time to wait for U.S. Department of State to process your passport. Learn how a registered passport expediter, and passport expediting can help you receive your new or passport renewal in a hurry.

How Can You Get a Passport Quickly?

Typically passport applications take four to seven weeks to process. When you have a last-minute business or personal travel need, or your passport has expired, you need a passport quickly. It takes minutes to pose for passport photos, so why does it need to take so long to receive a new or updated passport?

The U.S. government does allow expedited and emergency passports in certain circumstances. If you need to travel within 30 days, you may have your passport expedited by the State Department. If you need a passport plus a visa within 30 days, or you need a passport in less than 14 days, you may qualify for passport expediting services.

How to Get Passport Expedinting

Expedited passport applications are processed within two to three weeks. You must have your passport applications, photos plus, travel itinerary and an extra $60 to cover the rush charge.

If you are sending in an expedited passport request on your own, you must write “expedite” on the mailing envelope. Address the materials to the correct address (which differs from the standard passport processing address). Also, use an express mailing method that you can track for peace of mind, and pay a shipping surcharge.

A reputable passport expediter can take care of all of this for you. All you need to do is complete the secure online application and pay the passport processing fees.

How to Get a Same-Day Passport or Next Day Passport

If you have a travel emergency , the best course of action is to submit your materials to a regional passport agency. While you can do this in person, you may also elect a registered passport expediters to present your application. Regional agencies exist in major metro areas across the U.S. and specialize in processing materials in just 24 to 48 hours.

Expedited passport couriers can handle your urgent passport needs quickly, getting you the fastest turnaround time for your passport application and leaving you precious time to attend to other last-minute travel details. Depending on the case load of the regional agency, a courier may be able to get you same-day passport service.

Are you ready to start with an expedited passport? Applying is quick and easy. Complete the secure online form to get started with a registered passport expediter.

Steps for Expediting a United States Passport for a Newborn Baby

baby passport picture Traveling abroad with a newborn baby already has its share of stress, so make sure you take care of getting a passport for your little one well before your scheduled trip. First of all, you should be aware that passports for minors are a bit more complex than applying for an adult passport because the State Department requires proper documentation with evidence, proving the parents are indeed the child’s parents or guardian.

A number of local post offices and retail postal stores have passport acceptance agents who can witness the signature of the passport form, some acceptance agents require no appointment. However, an appointment is necessary at all official passport agencies. You can find applications and other relevant forms online via the U.S. Department of State’s website.

How to Apply for a Newborn Passport

To complete the process, you will need:

The child’s birth certificate
A DS-11 passport application
A photo of the newborn
The parents’ IDs
If applicable, court documents proving the parent and child relationship
The required fee

Complete the Process Using These Four Steps:

Step 1 – Passport Application Form

You will need to obtain a copy of the application form DS-11 for new passport. You will need to fill out the application form, but do not sign the DS-11 application until asked to do so by an acceptance agent.

Step 2 – Proof of Citizenship

Proof of citizenship. Provide a copy of the newborn’s birth certificate including both parents’ names for the baby’s proof of citizenship. If the applicant is a natural parent, this will also prove this relationship.

However, if the child is adopted or the applicant is the legal guardian, a copy of adoption papers or court documents should be brought along as well to demonstrate your legal right to have the child. A copy of the front and back of each parent’s ID (driver’s license or passport) is necessary.

Step 3 – The Baby Passport Photo

Bring along a 2″ x 2″ printed color picture of the baby. The photo should have a white background, so either lay the baby on a white sheet and photograph from above, or put them in their car seat with a white sheet behind. Only the child may be in the photo (no adults holding them); the photo should be a close-up of their face — no shadows, eyes open and looking into the camera.

Step 4 – Submitting the Application

Go to the passport agency. Go to the passport agency of your choice with the photo and documents. Both legal parents should be present; if one cannot be there, they must provide a notarized statement of consent form (Form DS-3053). The actual ID from each parent should be brought along as well as the copies that were created in Step #2.

Sign and pay. Sign the DS-11 form only when directed by the acceptance agent. Pay all applicable fees including the expedite service fee if faster service is use. At this time, the expedited service fee is $60. Overnight shipping fees may apply as well and are not included in the $60 fee.

If for some reason you cannot get your passport expedited with the passport agency U.S. Passport Help Guide recommends Fastport Passport to get your passport expedited for your newborn in as little as 24 hours.

U.S. Passport Processing Time for Summer

If you find that you need a passport before an upcoming trip or out of the country vacation getaway, there are always a few important things to keep in mind. For starters, applying for and processing a passport application is not generally something that can happen overnight. You need to make sure you’re leaving enough time to get all of the paperwork in order. Also, for your documents to arrive at the right facility safely and properly. So, if you apply in the summer, you will see the processing time for summer is longer than usual.

Standard processing for a new passport that has been sent through post office services usually takes between four and six weeks throughout most months of the year. As the warm summer season approaches, the expecting processing time may extend for a number of different reasons.

Standard processing time for summer to get a passport is usually between seven to eight weeks. Which is something you always need to keep in mind before you head off to that big trip. The process can be extended even farther depending on where in the world you’re planning on traveling. The World Cup, one of the most popular sporting events in history, is taking place in Brazil during the summer of 2014.

If you’re planning on traveling to Brazil, you should plan on standard processing time for summer can extend even farther as Brazilian Consulates deal with an influx of travelers trying to make their way into the country for the big events.

Another reason why passport processing times may get extend is during the summer. It has everything to do with the warm weather. As the weather starts getting nicer outside, more and more people begin taking vacations out of the United States.

As a result, the larger than average amount of passports that comes in to process can extend your waiting time. Of course, the exact time that your application will take to get process will still depend on where you’re coming from and where you’re planning on traveling to. So, just sit back and wait for the process to take its course.

Because of these reasons, appointments at a regional passport agency will be even harder to obtain when compared to other time periods during the year. The processing of an application doesn’t begin until after your appointment at the passport agency. If you can’t get an appointment for another two weeks, for example. You can expect the total amount of time the process will take to extend to nine to ten weeks. If you’re lucky. So, make sure you clear your schedule when you make your appointment so that you don’t lose your chance.

Expedited services with post offices are usually a great way to get your application process as quickly as possible. During the busy traveling season, however, these times extend to around three weeks. Another option is to use the services of a passport expediting company such as Fastport Passport. These services will obtain your passport in around 24 hours. Which is a great way to make sure that everything is in order right before the big trip.

If you submit your application with the post office, however, you cannot submit it again. Especially, with anyone else in the State Department. It will only accept one passport application at any given time. As a result, you need to make the decision with regards to which service you will use. That is before the process begins in earnest for the best possible results.

The Truth About Passport & Visa Expediters

How do passport expeditors work? Is a passport expeditor a legitimate method of obtaining a passport within 24 to 48 hours? These are some of the most common questions at U.S. Passport Help Guide we usually receive. In this article, we will explain how the process works. So this will be a very informative post about which passport expeditor is the right one, and how to go about choosing a passport expediting company to expedite your vital documents.

Which Passport & Visa Should I Choose?

There are many passport expeditors around the nation that are accredited by the BBB and have favorable ratings with many online review services. Fastport Passport and National Passport Service rank high based on customer experiences. These companies would be able to obtain your expedited passport. The bottom line is they all state the same thing. They can get your passport fast online without the hassle. If you would like a curated list of all passport and visa expeditors nationwide Rush Passport Center shares information on the top 10 services based on price, customer reviews, and timeliness.

It’s important to know passport expediters provide a hand carry service and appear at the Regional Passport Agency in lieu of the applicant having to appear. If the applicant were to appear in person, the passport agency will give the passport directly to the applicant just as fast as the passport expediting company.

Questions to Ask Passport Expediters?

Which passport agency process my passport application?
How long is the company in business?
What is the cancellation policy?
Would my passport application be outsourced to a third party company?
Do you have a physical location?
Are you register with any passport agencies?
How many years have you been doing passport expediting?
Are you on the BBB and are you accredited?
Can we contact a customer via email to ask for a reference?

What to do before Purchasing Expedited Passport Services?

Check the companies other reviews on a public review site like Yelp, BBB, and Facebook.
Call the 800 number and make sure someone picks up the phone, and customer services are being provided.
Check if they have any online chat services.
Make sure the company where you are purchasing the service are the actual passport courier, and not a third party vendor.

How Does Expediting a Passport Work?

In order to process an expedited passport with a registered courier service, the process is pretty simple. Many expeditors advertise a three or four-step process.

The first step is to order the expedited service that meets your needs. Many expeditors can process the passport as quickly as 24 hours. There are budget-friendly options as well starting around $99 for expedited processing
Once submitting a passport order, the next step for a passport application is to follow a set of passport application instructions. You will have to meet all the passport requirements and prepare all the documents for shipping.
Once you have prepared the documents the applicant will ship the passport to the expeditor for processing.
Now your passport is in processing with the expediter and a regional passport agency. Once the passport is complete, you will receive a notification that your passport is complete or not by the Passport Agency. Most expediters use FedEx or UPS to ship back your documents with preferred overnight shipping

Where can I apply for an Expedited Passport?

When looking to use a passport expeditor it is recommended that you first try to get your passport with the regional passport agency in your area. If this is not possible due to the location of the passport agency or no appointment is available then we recommend finding a reliable passport expeditor from our passport expediting directory.

How does a private company be able to process my passport application? Private companies could only expedite passport in an emergency situation. You will need to be traveling within fourteen days or thirty days if a visa is necessary. These companies are “couriers” that hand-carry your passport application into the regional passport agency that they are registered with meaning they will hand-deliver your passport application to the passport agency, and communicate any problems with the application then deliver your application back to you.

24 Hours Passport and Visa Services

The routine service processing time for a U.S. Passport from the U.S. Department of State ranges from approximately 4-6 weeks from the initial application time until receipt. The expedited service requires paid overnight service both ways and takes about 2-3 weeks from start to finish. If you need a passport in order to travel immediately, there are options that will enable you to receive your passport in as little as 24 hours.

24 Hours Passport with Passport Agency

Regional passport agencies use an automated appointment service which allows travelers to make an appointment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone.

Expedited 24-hour passport services at regional agencies always requires an appointment. These agencies are close on Federal Holidays. Expediting applications must be in person and in most cases, a hard copy itinerary showing travel dates is necessary. Thus, the Expedite Fee for each application at the passport agency or center is $60.

Some of the locations do provide extremely fast turn-a-round on passport processing. For instance, the Detroit, Michigan agency offers will call service in the case of life/death emergencies and immediate travel abroad. This service accommodates travelers who need to travel in fewer than 5 business days.

24 Hours Passport with Private Expediting Company

In extreme situations it may be necessary to obtain a passport in 24 hours or less. There are private expediting companies who are able to get a passport issued in as little as 24 hours. These passport expediting companies do attach a a service fee which graduates depending upon how soon you need the passport.

Travelers can apply and receive new, renewal, replacement, and child passports using these services. Online they are simply required to select the type of service they are requesting, input their personal and travel information, complete the passport application and submit the required documents such as Proof of Citizenship, 2 Passport photos and a Passport Processing Authorization Letter. After receiving the items and the payment, the agency goes to work to get the passport out as soon as possible. Which in some cases may be as little as 24 hours.

How Can I Get a Passport in 2 Weeks

While getting a U.S. passport is a relatively simple process, if you need a passport in 2 weeks this could take a little more effort. Standard passport turnaround times are about 4-6 weeks and expedite processing, for an extra fee, usually requires 2-3 weeks.

However, for last-minute travel plans that require a passport in less than 14 days, a trip to a Regional Passport Agency may be necessary. Appointments are mandatory and can be scheduled 24 hours a day via telephone at 1-877-487-2778. Most locations are in major cities. So, allow extra time for travel if you do not live in a major metropolitan area.

The Application Process

The standard passport application will need to be filled out, and renewals require form DS-82 as well. In addition to the passport fee, which ranges from $130 – $195, the Expedited Service fee of $60 per person will apply. The new passport can be picked up at the agency or mailed. Overnight delivery has an extra charge of $12.85 per application. All agencies accept checks, money orders, and credit and debit cards.

Expediting Agencies

Some agencies may require proof of travel within two weeks to use this expedited processing service. Have a copy of your itinerary. They will not accept a mobile itinerary. The Regional Passport Agency does not charge any extra fees to use their services. In some cases, passports are available within hours of applying.

Expedite With a Private Passport Company

If you are unable to travel to your nearest Passport Agency, there are also many passports expediting services. They generally charge fees in addition to the passport charges listed above. Fees may range from $70 – $300, depending on how quickly you need a passport. One benefit of using an expediting service is that the passport is delivered to your location. Whether it’s your home or the airport.

Both choices are legitimate options. The main difference lies in cost and convenience. Going directly to an official Regional Passport Agency will save the costs of using an expediting service. However, with an expediting service, you never even have to leave your home.

The fees listed above are current as of 5/10/13, but the most up-to-date information can be found at the State Department.