If you need to get a passport quickly, you can apply for an
expedited passport. This service is an option no matter what type of
passport you need. You will need to pay an extra $60 beyond the fees
that are associated with the particular type of passport you are
applying for.
In some cases, it is specifically recommended that
you send your application in as expedited. This is the case if your
travel plans are in fewer than a couple of weeks. Also, if you will need
a passport within a month for securing a foreign visa, it is also
recommended.
Passports generally take around four to six weeks for
processing. However, when the office is really busy, it can take as
many as ten weeks. If you need your passport any time prior to that, you
might want to think about requesting the expedited service to be on the
safe side.
If you are requesting this service, it is also
recommended that your application be sent using an overnight delivery
service and to have it returned to you that way. If you choose to send
it via mail, make sure you write EXPEDITE on the envelope. It is best to
send it so that it can be traced as well. However you send in your
passport application, make sure it is packaged securely to keep it from
being damaged.
You can have your passport expedited for any reason
or for no particular reason at all. It is a service that is available
to anyone and for all types of passports: renewals, first time, for a
name change or for a child. Bear in mind that if you send multiple
passport applications together, the passports themselves may be sent
back separately. Any personal documents that need to be returned may
also be sent separately.
If a life or death emergency situation
requiring a passport in less time than this, do not use the expedited
service for your passport. Rather, you will have to call the passport
agency to request an emergency service appointment. When you go to the
agency, you might be asked for proof of why you need your passport
immediately.
You will normally receive your expedited passport
within 2 or 3 weeks. For this reason, it is always a good idea to always
have a passport that is valid. If you want to travel in fewer than two
weeks for something other than an emergency, you might have to cancel
your vacation.
Keep in mind that, if your name has been changed
such as because of marriage, you will require a new passport reflecting
that change. This is important to think about if you are planning an
international honeymoon. It may be best not to initiate any paperwork
regarding the name change until you are back in the United States.
Apply for an expedited passport
if there is any reason you might end up needing it faster than usual.
It is worth the extra fee if it means you do not have to cancel last
minute plans. Once you have your U.S. passport, you will not need to go through the process again for ten years.
