Emergency Passports can be acquired in a few days if needed.
Getting passports quickly is more expensive, but if you need your
passport fast, it is worth the cost.
Application Interview: First,
make an appointment with an Acceptance Facility or Passport Agency.
Contact the State Department online or use the toll free number to find a
location near you.
Documentation: All passport applications
require your personal documentation. Photo identification cards can be a
driver's license, military ID, or state identification card. Birth
certificates, naturalization or citizenship papers are also needed.
Marriage licenses, divorce and custody papers are needed if you are
applying for a child's passport. Divorced parents will both need to be
present when applying for a child's passport. The State Department
website lists the documentation required for applications. Make copies
of these documents before your interview.
Photographs: Every
passport application requires duplicate photographs of your head and
shoulders.
They need to be two inches by two inches. Some passport
application locations provide this service.
One-hour photo locations and
drug stores provide this service. You can make your own using a digital
camera, printer and photography paper. The background must be blank and
light in color.
Fees: The standard non-refundable application fee
for a passport is $120. Expedited passport fees start at $60 don't
include delivery fees. Depending on the provider, delivery fees start at
$14.85. Rush passport companies can hasten the process and fees range
from $100 to $300 per passport.
Processing: Obtaining an expedited
passport through the State Department can take a few days to a few
weeks. Contact the State Department via the internet or by phone to see
if you qualify for special services.
Few people will need an
emergency passport, however in certain circumstances knowing that
emergency passports can be found quickly provides peace of mind.
C.L. Hendricks has been a Jill-of-all-trades and become an expert
in some. She has also traveled extensively and now writes about travel
destinations around the world for How to Get a Passport
[http://www.how-to-get-a-passport.com] and other travel sites as Web Content Provider.
