Being filled with excitement for an upcoming trip abroad is an indescribable feeling ― until you realize that your passport is expired (or a few months away from expiring, which may make it invalid in some countries). Or perhaps you unexpectedly have to travel and don’t have a passport.
When getting a passport ― whether for the first time or as part of a renewal ― it’s likely to take four to eight weeks, depending on the season, said Jonathan Alder, a travel adviser and the founder of travel management company Jonathan’s Travels. However, this isn’t ideal for someone with an expired passport and an upcoming trip out of the country.
We spoke with travel experts who laid out a handful of secrets to getting a passport quickly if you need one ASAP.
Request an expedited passport.
Recently, the U.S. State Department announced that you can renew your passport online, but it’s unclear if this will speed up the process.
When renewing your document, you can ask for it to be expedited, which is useful if you have to travel in less than eight weeks. If you’re getting a new passport, which is done in person, you need to let the passport agent know that you’d like it to be expedited as well.
But be prepared to pay a fee, Alder said. Your request is going to cost an extra $60, but “this will make it happen twice as fast as usual,” he explained.
Schedule an in-person appointment with a passport agency.
“If you already have a vacation booked, another convenient option is to wait until you’re two weeks or less out from that trip, as passport agency offices will take in-person appointments for people that can show proof of their fast-approaching travel itinerary,” Alder said.
This will be considered an “urgent” passport renewal, as opposed to an expedited renewal.
“The best part about this option is that there is no additional cost beyond the normal $60 expediting fee,” Alder continued. “The only difference is that you need to show proof of upcoming travel within the next two weeks.”
If you’re dealing with a life-or-death emergency that requires travel in the next two weeks, you can also make a special in-person appointment. This option is for people with an immediate family member who has died, is dying in end-of-life care, or has a life-threatening illness or injury.
“If you are in a life-or–death emergency situation and need to obtain or renew your passport to travel internationally, visit travel.state.gov to see if you qualify for…
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