On November 23rd, 2010, the National Passport Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire opened to the public for the first time. The new location allows US citizens living in New Hampshire to submit emergency passport applications without having to travel to another state.
The center is one of 21 regional passport agency offices that serve the United States. While that may seem like an insufficient number of offices to serve all 50 US states, it’s actually an improvement. For example, in September of 2009, there were only 19 of these facilities.
As rules requiring passports became more strict after 9-11, the US Department of State has become increasingly focused on opening up new regional passport agency offices to assist US citizens. This year, regional passport agency offices have opened in Buffalo, New York and Hot Springs, Arkansas. Next year, the State Department expects to open additional locations in Atlanta, Georgia; San Diego, California; El Paso, Texas and St. Albans, Vermont.
Regional passport agency offices are open to US citizens who need a passport to travel within the next 14 days, or who have travel planned in the next 30 days that requires a foreign visa. All agency offices are open by appointment only.
Naturally, the locations and operating hours of these facilities are not convenient for everyone. For US citizens who need their passport applications processed quickly but can’t make it to a designated appointment slot, a private passport expediting company like Rush My Passport can be a solution. An expediting company submits your application to the Department of State on your behalf, so you don’t have to travel to a regional passport agency office yourself. There are additional fees involved, of course, so it makes sense to consider your own personal needs and situation before deciding whether to submit your application directly to the Department of State or through a private company.
Alison Kroulek is a freelance writer and blogger with a focus on the travel industry.