With extra fees and ever more onerous security requirements, traveling has become increasingly unpleasant even if you’ve had plenty of time to plan ahead. But what if you don’t have time to plan? Anything from a sudden business crisis to a family emergency can drag you out of the country on short notice.
If a situation arises that necessitates last-minute travel, your top concern is likely to be getting an emergency passport. While most travel experts recommend applying for your passport as far in advance as possible, getting an emergency passport is possible as long as you take the appropriate steps.
For a last-minute trip, one option is make an appointment at the nearest regional passport agency office. Regional passport agency offices are capable of issuing passports in 24 hours or less, as long as you have all of your paperwork straight when you go in.
To get an emergency passport from a regional passport agency office, call 1-877-487-2778 to schedule an appointment. To qualify for an appointment, you must be able to show that you have tickets to leave the country in the next 14 days, so go ahead and make those plane reservations prior to calling. Before your appointment, make sure to familiarize yourself with the documents you’ll need to apply and the fees you’ll need to pay. Also, bring a copy of your itinerary to prove that you do, indeed, have an emergency passport situation on your hands.
Another option is to submit your application through a private expediter such as Rush My Passport. These companies deal with the Department of State for you, which means that you get your emergency passport request processed quickly even when you don’t have time to visit a regional passport agency office.
Instead, if you need to apply in person for your passport (for example, if it’s your first time or if your last passport was lost or stolen), you can simply go down to a post office or any other location that accepts passport applications and get your application “sealed” by the staff there. Then, ship it to the expediting company and they’ll handle the Department of State for you.
Alison Kroulek is a freelance writer and blogger with a focus on the travel industry.
