When it's necessary to obtain a priority passport, understand
that it can be done but that it might take some legwork and additional
money to do so. Generally speaking, most people who do need a passport
in a hurry make use of one of the many different express passport
expediter services existing today. In addition, other people tend to
work directly with the government to get their passport in a hurry.
This
isn't to say it will be extremely easy to get quickly-issued passports.
In general, even expedited passports that are applied for through one
of the government's regional service in centers (there are 14 spread
around the country) can take from 2 to 3 weeks. There are also
additional fees attached when it comes to an expedited passport issued
through one of those centers, so keep that in mind.
For those who
absolutely, positively need one in a rush, it might be a good idea to
work through an express expediter. However, when that isn't possible,
there are other means for obtaining such a passport on a priority basis
by working through the government. This is going to mean, however,
travel to one of those regional service centers in order to make it
happen, which is something worth keeping in mind.
Outside of the
use of an expediter, the first thing to do is to access the State
Department's passport website. It's not really all that complicated to
get a passport in a rush, which is fortunate, but remember that there
are several steps involved. By following the proper steps, one can have a
passport not only issued quickly but also with a minimum of fuss.
The
government being the government, it'll be necessary to arrange for an
appointment before showing up at a service center. On the State
Department website is a toll-free number that must be called if one
wants to get a passport in a single day at a service center.
Priority-issuance of passports can only be done by making an
appointment, and there are few, if any, exceptions to this rule.
As
far as the service centers themselves, there are a number of them on
both coasts and in the Midwest. New York City, Boston, Chicago, Seattle,
Washington DC and Los Angeles all host such centers. For passports
needed on the same day as application, an appointment and travel to a
service center is a must. And expect to spend all day getting it, so
make an appointment early because processing can take five hours or
more.
Of course, to obtain a passport that quickly, there will be
additional fees required before the document can be issued. Same day
passports currently cost between $200 and $300 in fees paid to the
government. If any background research on citizenship or identity is
needed, there's an additional $60 fee on top of the expediting fee and
standard passport fees of from $25 to $95.
Remember that it's a very good idea to make an appointment at a
service center for as early in the day as is practicable. Make sure to
show up with American passports photographs in hand along with documents proving identity and citizenship. When it comes to the issuance of a priority passport, fees can arrange up to $300 in addition to standard passport issuance monies, which is worth keeping in mind.
