Filing And Replacing A Lost United States Passport

by garrett on January 26, 2012

Losing a passport is a very serious matter. A passport is a document that verifies a persons identity and acts as a travel pass. It allows people to enter countries and then re-enter their own country. Without this document international travel is not permitted. When someone has a lost American pasport it is very important to report it as lost and hurry the process to replace it.

Recovered Documents

If a passport is found it should immediately be taken to the Department of State, however this rarely happens. If a passport is lost while traveling it is essential to report it lost and then get the process underway to obtain a new one. There are expediting services out there that replace them quickly, sometimes in 24 hours.

Replacement

There are different avenues for replacing a lost passport. If the document is not needed in a short period of time then it can a replacement can be applied for. This can take about 8 weeks. If it is needed in a short period of time then expediting services must be used, this guarantees the documents arrival in the necessary time period.

Expediting

However, for people in need of the document urgently, services are available to help them get the document within a shorter period than mentioned above. Contacting a private service provider is the best way in which one can approach this. The provider will help you get the document in 1-2 business days.

Paperwork

The paperwork that is involved is essentially the same but with an exception of 1-2 forms that might be required by the private company for indemnification purposes. An additional fee is charged over the government charges but the small charge required is nothing compared to the service you are getting.

Documentation

You get a list of all the requirements for the processing in the website of the provider. Make sure to have all the documents required and their photocopies. You will also get the new pages for U.S. passport application form on the site and you should complete it as required.

Acceptable Forms

Among the identification documents that will be required is the birth certificate, which proves that one is a US citizen. Other details that will be required are the actual age of the applicant, birthplace and the social security number. Remember that the birth certificate provided should be original and in cases where certified copies are used, they should have the entity’s official seal or else they will be rejected.

Assistance In A Foreign Land

In cases where the document gets lost during a trip, you will be required to show the plane ticket or travel itinerary. Two color photographs are also required and they should meet the required specifications failure to which they are rejected. You can ensure that you have the required size by having them taken by a professional photographer.

After all this is done, the completed new pages for American passport application forms, additional forms, identification documents, photos and other requirements are sent to the company that is dealing with the processing. Ensure that you use a delivery service that can be tracked. Having done this, the replacement process of the lost US passport or even a damaged passport will be complete and you just need to sit and wait for the document to arrive.

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