Anyone traveling outside of the United States today must have
either a passport book or passport card. This law went into effect June
1, 2009. In order to re-enter the U. S., even from Mexico, Canada, the
Caribbean, or Bermuda, persons must have this documentation. This
applies to persons traveling by land, air or sea, so if you have family
living outside of the U. S. you will need to make preparation for
emergency situations. This can prevent need of having to apply for an
emergency passport.
People with family living abroad should have
plans for emergencies. The best preparation is to take the time and pay
the fee for a normal passport. Keep the passport in a safe location at
all times in order to be ready to travel at any time.
In order to
obtain that passport, you will need to follow the rules that the State
Department has established. These rules, as well as the applicable
forms, can be found on the website for the U. S.
Department of State.
The application will need to be returned to a passport processing
center. There is at least one in most cities of any size. Currently, the
return time is four to six weeks.
Individuals who need to travel
in less than fourteen days or need their passport for issuance of a visa
can pay an additional $60 for an expedited service. In addition, they
can pay fees to have the passport sent by overnight services. Proof of
the need for expedited service must be provided.
If you pay the
extra fee, you can have the passport in two to three weeks. For many
people, this is will be soon enough for their travel. It is quicker to
get the passport book by overnight service, but the passport card is
only sent through the mail.
If you are facing a life or death
situation, you can get an emergency passport. These emergency passports
can be obtained in a 24 hour period, however, you may have to travel to
one of the regional passport centers or pay an agent to make application
for you. You can call the toll-free number of the State Department to
schedule an appointment at the center. Centers are open Monday through
Friday during normal business hours and closed weekends and federal
holidays. If you take the completed application to the center at your
appointment along with proof of travel, you can get your passport
immediately.
If travel to the passport center is not possible for
you, then you can also hire an agent to make the application on your
behalf. You will need to include time to send your documentation to the
agent and for the agent to send your passport to you using overnight
delivery. Many agents are able to process your passport within twenty
four hours.
Employing a passport agent
may increase the price you pay for a passport. In addition to the $135
government fee, you will need to pay for the agent's services and for
shipping costs. While this can increase the cost of the emergency passport, it is often less expensive than having to travel to the regional center by yourself.
