When A Rush Passport Is Really Needed

by adam on April 30, 2010

There are times when a rush passport is really needed on the part of some people. This may be because they’ve suddenly been tasked with traveling to some other country on business or because they have family and friends they urgently need to visit in another country. Whatever the reason may be, some people need them and, fortunately, there’s usually a way to get them in a hurry.

Naturally, there are many services available on the Internet to help people obtain passports in a real hurry, such as on the same day or the next. Given that these services can handle almost everything from A to Z, it’s no wonder many people choose to go with a passport expediting business rather than to try to obtain the passport by themselves. Still, doing so is possible.

All that needs to be done, first of all, is to be willing to travel to one of the big processing centers that are located in various parts of the country and that are set up on a regional basis. For people in the Midwest, it’s probably best to go to Chicago, Illinois. People on the West Coast have their choice of three big cities (Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco).

All people in the eastern portion of the US usually go to one of several different centers, such as the one in Washington DC or the one in New York city. There are others located in Boston and Miami, as well. The State Department supplies a toll-free number at its website through which a passport applicant who needs one in a real hurry can make an appointment at these centers, by the way.

Fees to obtain passports that are going to be issued on the same day as the application is made can run from $200 to $300, with an additional $60 to be paid if the center has to do an additional passport check. Keep in mind, as well, that applications must be accompanied by proof of citizenship and identity. Usually, people bring official birth certificates and some form of government-issued ID card.

It can take all day at a processing center, starting from an early morning appointment (always make the appointment for early in the day) until issuance late in the afternoon. In addition, keep in mind that no center takes passport photos. This means that it’s necessary to have photos taken before arriving at the center with an application (it can be printed out online) along with the required documents and fees.

Because of Homeland security regulations, the only documents acceptable for proof of citizenship are birth certificates issued with raised government seals, naturalization papers or a passport itself. If a person is just renewing an expired passport, workers at the center can do a quick check (this is where the $60 fee comes in). If no passport exists, a birth certificate or naturalization papers must be supplied, no exceptions.

Getting a rush passport can be done, though it can take a fair amount of legwork and effort on the part of people needing it. Many of those who do need them choose instead to work with expediting services rather than to travel to a processing center on their own. Fees for passports issued in a hurry can be a bit higher than for normally-processed documents, so keep that in mind.

Comments on this entry are closed.

Previous post:

Next post: