Expedited Passport

How to Get Your Passport in a Hurry

Passport expediting is vital in emergency situations when you need to obtain your travel document in hurry, typically within two weeks or less. When it comes to getting expedited passports, there are a few options available to United States citizens.

Imagine planning to travel outside of the United States for business or vacation in the next few weeks. Perhaps you’ve meticulously planned every detail of your trip and just discovered that you need a passport. You’ve logged on to the U.S. Department of State’s official website and discover that they are processing routine applications in approximately 4-6 weeks from the time of application. Four to six weeks? You don’t have that long to wait! Well, the good news is that there is a solution to your problem. There are third party companies that can provide expedited passport services faster than the 4-6 week expedited option from the State Department.

When obtaining an expedited passport you will still observe all of the rules and regulations you would follow during the regular passport process. The difference is that you will receive your U.S. passport much faster than if you went through the normal process. The only difference with expedited passports is the time required to get the travel document and the fees that must be paid. The rules differ slightly depending on specific circumstances; for example, there are special rules when obtaining passports for minors.

These third party companies are a great solution for people who do not want to deal with the paperwork and legwork required to obtain a passport as well as people who do not live near one of the twenty-one regional passport agencies that can provide expedited service.

The Process

The faster you provide the third party company that is expediting your passport everything they need, the faster they will be able to assist you with getting your passport. To start the process of obtaining your expedited passport you will need to complete the following steps.

• Completed, unsigned passport application Form DS-11
• Submit proof of citizenship.
• Provide proof of identity.
• Submit a photocopy of the identification document presented
• Provide one (1) passport photo.
• Make payment for new passport fees.

Using a qualified passport expediting service offers many benefits. You can have your new passport delivered to you as fast as 24-48 hours through an expediter. If you’re wondering how an expediting service can accomplish this when you can’t, the answer is simple. Because they have a special relationship with the regional agencies that gives them priority status, travel document expediting services can get you your passport fast with minimal effort on your part.

Another advantage of applying for a passport through a professional expediter is the fact that you can apply for both a U.S. passport and a travel visa simultaneously. Since the State Department does not issue travel visas to foreign countries, you would normally be required to apply for a passport and wait for its delivery before submitting the application for your travel visa. If you need your passport in a hurry but you can’t personally visit a regional agency professional passport expediting is your best choice. The additional fee is a small price to pay to guarantee that you get your passport in time to catch your flight.

In addition to the benefits previously discussed, expediting your passport through a third-party expediter can prevent delays. If you process your passport yourself through the U.S. Department of State, you will have a difficult time tracking your documents throughout the process. The National Passport Information Center only tracks what has been registered in the computer database, while most expedited passport services provide tracking so that you know exactly where your passport is at all times. Plus, the National Passport Information Center will charge you for any information they provide. If you run into any problems processing your own passport the U.S. Department of State will send you a letter notifying you. Once you receive the letter, then you can address the problem. Obviously, this adds unneeded time to how long it will take to process you documents. Utilizing a passport expediter allows you to resolve any issues much quicker, shaving days or even weeks off the process.

Overall, there are numerous reasons to use the services of third party companies that can provide expedited passport services faster than the 4-6 week expedited option from the State Department. Most people consider their time to be valuable and if you’re one of them, then you should consider using a passport expediter service to get your passport fast.

 

 

 

Many people can be intimidated when applying for a U.S. Passport. After all, a passport is used for international travel, and as such the restrictions and requirements are much more stringent than getting a drivers license or state-issued identification card.

While there are many options when applying for a passport – such as additional visa pages, consent forms for those under the age of 18 who are traveling abroad, and special requests for change of information (if you recently moved or your name has changed) – this article is going to focus on the basic application, to help make the entire process as quick and painless as possible.

What You Need

 Before you walk into the travel agency and before you start dealing with filling out forms, there are a few things you should get to take with you.

•   The first thing you need is proof of your United States citizenship. If you were born in the United States, the best way you show this is with a copy of your birth certificate. This will be returned to you. If you were born outside of the U.S., simply present a Certificate of Citizenship or a Certificate of Naturalization
• Proof of identification. In this case, not only bring your drivers license or state-issued identification, but also make a photocopy of the front and back of it. Military identification and expired U.S. Passports are also accepted. You will need to present the real thing, and also submit the photocopy along with your passport application
• A recent color photograph. This needs to show the full front of your face and must be 2 inches by 2 inches in size.

 

The Paperwork and DS-11 Application

 

Now that you have all the necessary things needed to get started on filling out the appication for your U.S. Passport. You can get the application at most most state municipal builtings (your local City Hall should cally the forms). If you want to save some time, you can find the form online and print it out.

 

The DS-11 U.S. Passport application and all required papers/certificates/photos must be filled out and presented in person at any of the following offices:

•  County Clerk’s Office
•  Designated municipal or county official
• A judge’s office who is accepting passport applications
• Passport Agengy

A quick search on-line will be able to tell you which offices nearest to your work or home are accepting the DS-11 U.S. Passport Application.

Fees

 The cost for obtaining a United States Passport vary throughout the year, but not by much. The price for processing the application and the physical passport can be paid by check, credit card (AmEx, Visa, Discover, Master Card), money order, bank draft, or cashier’s check.

The usual turnaround time between submitting the application and receiving your passport is, on average, 6 weeks to 2 months. This can, for a little extra, be waived and cut down to only a couple of weeks via the expedited or rushed passport. Most people opt for a rushed passport to bypass the waiting time, and possible errors in delivery.

Right now, there has never been more of a demand for people to have U.S. Passports. Posessing a U.S. Passport not only allows you the freedom to travel wherever you like, but, because it is a Federally-issued and standardized ID, it trumps all other forms of identification.

So do yourself a favor. Whether you plan of short-notice traveling for business, family, or personal pleasure – or whether you just want to have the security of having a nationally (and internationally) accepted form of identification, get a U.S. Passport today.