Making emergency travel plans can throw a curveball into your
life. Trying to pack, make airline travel arrangements and take care of
business at home can be stressful. Travel plans may be even more hectic
if you find yourself having to apply for a rush US passport on top of
it. Fortunately it's possible to obtain a 24 hour passport without
having to appear in person.
The documentation that you will need to provide includes:
*
Proof of U.S. citizenship. If you were born in the United States, you
need to supply your birth certificate. If you are a naturalized citizen,
you must provide a Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of
Citizenship. If you've previously owned a passport, you may provide your
old passport in lieu of the above documents as long as your previous
passport was issued less than 15 years ago.
* Proof of identity.
You must provide a valid drivers license with your photo. It's important
to note that if your driver's license was issued to you less than six
months prior, you'll have to supply another form of identification. An
expired driver's license is acceptable. If you cannot meet this
requirement, you may have a blood relative over the age of 18 identify
you. He or she must have a valid driver's license issued not less than
six months prior or a valid US passport. In addition to this, you must
supply one other form of identification, like a Social Security card,
work ID, etc.
* Passport photographs. You must supply two
regulation-size photos (2" by 2"). Many photo outlets/studios supply
passport photos in less than an hour.
* Proof of departure. You
must show proof that you are traveling outside of the country.
Acceptable documents include your airline ticket, a printed itinerary or
a letter from your supervisor on company letterhead if the trip is
business-related.
One of the easiest ways to apply for a rush US passport is to fill out an online passport application. The form can be downloaded directly from the passport processing agency.
In addition to the application, you must also submit a Processing
Authorization Letter. This document gives official permission for your
chosen passport processing agency to submit your application to
a US passport agency. This document can usually be downloaded along
with the passport application. The most important thing to remember when
choosing an online passport processing agency is to ask about the company's delivery policies. Many use private carriers
to ship your passport and your identification to you once the
application process is complete. Remember, the documents that you have
to provide in order to obtain your US passport are highly sensitive and
personal. They are very difficult to replace if lost in transit. Plus,
if they fall into the wrong hands you may be vulnerable to identity
theft.
Timeliness of delivery is important too. Be sure that the
passport processing company that you choose guarantees that your
passport and documents will be returned to you within the specified time
frame. Again, much is dependent upon the private carrier that your
chosen agency uses. If you don't trust the courier, or if you've never
heard of them, it's probably best to look elsewhere for passport
services.
It's probably a relief to know that you can apply for a rush US
passport without having to stand in line. Using an agency which
processes urgent passport applications
without requiring you to be present means that you can concentrate on
all of those other travel details. You have enough to worry about making
sure that your luggage is in order. You can take your time packing your
travel bags because you'll have one less thing to worry about by
applying for your passport online.
