Do This to Get Your US Passport Faster
Before traveling abroad, you will need to ensure that you have a valid passport. If you find that your document has expired or expired before or during your trip and you’re leaving soon, you can probably still get your documents back on time by taking a few extra steps.
Passport processing times have increased dramatically during the pandemic, but are now four to six weeks for routine processing, plus up to two weeks for round-trip mail. (The option to renew your passport online takes some of the time and hassle out of applying, although it’s only available for routine service.) If you’re traveling in less than six weeks, you can pay to expedite your passport, allowing your documents to be returned to you in about in a month, but perhaps less.
Depending on the time frame you’re dealing with and the reasons for your travel, you have several options to explore. Let’s go through them all.
How to speed up getting a passport
If you can’t risk waiting for standard processing, you can pay an additional $60 fee to expedite your application or renewal. The State Department says expedited delivery takes two to three weeks, plus up to two weeks for mailing, so be prepared for a total processing time of about a month.
There are two ways to expedite your passport: by mail if you are renewing, or at a passport office if you are applying for the first time.
How to speed up mail
To expedite your passport renewal by mail , you will need to complete and print Form DS-82 . You will need your valid passport (and passport card, if applicable), passport photo, and a check or money order for the application fee plus $60. All this must be placed in an envelope marked “EXPEDITE” on the outside and mailed to the National Passport Processing Center:
National Passport Processing Center, PO Box 90955, Philadelphia, PA 19190-0955.
You can also pay an additional $21.36 for one to two day shipping, reducing the time it takes for mail to be sent from the processing center back to you once your passport is ready, and/or use Express Mail service to get yours to you faster statement.
How to speed up work at the receiving point
If you are applying for a passport for the first time, you can get expedited service at a passport acceptance location, such as a post office, library, or local government center. Enter your zip code to find locations in your area.
Follow the Department of State’s instructions to prepare for your first in-person application. You will need to complete Form DS-11 and pay a $60 expedited fee along with your application when you go to the intake location.
How to speed up getting a passport if you have already submitted an application
If you’ve already applied for your first passport or renewal but need your documents sooner than you thought, you can still add expedited service. Call the National Passport Information Center at 877-487-2778 to request a change and receive instructions on how to pay the $60 fee.
How to get a passport for an urgent trip
Urgent care may be available if you are traveling abroad in less than two to three weeks. This option requires a personal meeting at the passport agency or center, which reduces transit time and any potential delays encountered at the collection point. You will need to have proof of travel, such as a ticket or itinerary, and pay a $60 expedited processing fee when you go to your appointment.
If you have not yet applied for a passport, you can make an appointment online. If you have already applied but now need immediate assistance or need to change your appointment, call 877-487-2778 between 8:00 am and 10:00 am ET Monday through Friday or 10:00 am and 3:00 pm on Saturday or Sunday.
You cannot come to the passport agency without an appointment, and availability is not guaranteed.
How to get an emergency passport
The State Department is also expediting passport processing for travel of less than 14 days in the event of ” life-or-death emergencies .” You are eligible for this service only if an immediate family member—a parent or legal guardian, child, spouse, sibling, grandparent—died outside the United States, is receiving hospice care, or has a life-threatening illness or injury .
To apply for an emergency passport, you will need a death certificate, a statement from the morgue or a letter from the hospital, and proof of planned travel. You can then make an appointment with the passport agency online. If appointments are not available or you have already applied for a passport before emergency processing is required, call 877-487-2778 between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm ET, Monday through Friday (or 202-647-4000 at any time outside these hours).