Travel opportunities can come up suddenly. Business opportunities
or spur of the moment vacations can make international excursions an
unexpected requirement. The unexpected nature of these trips, however,
also brings their own special problems. In particular, travelers with a
short time for planning will need to be sure that all of their documents
and visas are ready to go. For many, taking advantage of the services
provided by professional companies, such as getting expedited passport
pages, can provide some peace of mind.
The US Department of State
issues passports to American citizens. In other countries comparable
bureaucratic offices handle these processes. Passports are only one of
several responsibilities held by this important branch of government.
The
history of passports is long and interesting. In their earliest
incarnations, heads of state issued letters meant to provide a degree of
protection to their official messengers or envoys. In the world today,
passports are used mostly as a method of monitoring security and
immigration concerns. Every US citizen traveling internationally is
required to obtain a passport.
No matter what country they come
from, most passports look fairly similar to one another in terms of
size, shape, and information contained therein. An international
standard has been established among passport issuing agencies, so that
documents may be shared easily between governments. Most US passports
contain twenty-four pages for placing visa stamps upon entry to or exit
from a country. For some travelers, collecting stamps from different
entry and exit points is a fun hobby. The international stamps come in a
variety of shapes and colors.
Though collecting stamps can be
fun, it can also pose a problem for those faced with an unexpected
travel need. Namely, if you run out of places for stamps, you will not
be able to use your passport.
Luckily, to fix this situation, you can
get additional pages for your passport if you have four or fewer blank
pages left. The process to get the extra pages is easy.
The form
needed to obtain extra pages is not complicated, and easy to obtain. On
the form, you must provide phone numbers for your emergency contacts and
basic personal information. Submitting the paperwork is free, and after
filling it in, you can either use direct mail or send it online. In
addition to the form, you will also need to send your passport to the
State Department.
The State Department is a tremendous government
operation that receives thousands of passport requests. Since these are
not the only duties maintained by the office, you should not expect a
speedy turnaround time. Most requests take at least a month. This is the
central problem for those with sudden travel plans. Luckily, it is
possible to request expedited service. Your passport with extra pages
can be returned sooner, but this rushed service will cost an extra sixty
dollars.
When travel plans come up without warning, it can cause a great deal of worry. With expedited passport pages, you can put aside at least some of your travel worries. So, order your overnight passport, finish packing and enjoy your trip.
