How To Obtain An Emergency Passport

For anyone who may be considering travel outside the country in the next ten days or anyone who may have lost their documentation and finds themselves in need, there are emergency passport services available. These documents, known as limited-validity passports, can be obtained quickly and can remain valid for up to a year. In most cases they are valid for only the amount of time needed, however they can be extended when necessary.

The Documents
Those who find the need for these types of documents are often traveling outside the country for either business or personal needs and either lose their documents or become victims of theft. In either case, a traveler can submit an emergency application in person at the closest United States Embassy. Often these applications can be processed in a little as two hours. Prior to requesting this service, it may be beneficial to report the missing papers to the local police whenever possible. In fact in some cases such a report is required.

The Fees
And while there are fees involved, it is the same fee assessed when applying for a regular passport. Once back home, the charge for replacing limited-validity documents with full-validity ones can be eliminated so long as the applicant submits the appropriate paperwork before the limited documents expire. After this deadline, the normal fee is applied.

The Application
For those who are US citizens but are living outside the country, an application for a passport can be made through the US Embassy that is local to their residence. People who currently live inside the United States must fill out the required documentation and mail their application in for processing. Keep in mind that emergency documents must be requested in person. There are no current exceptions to this requirement.

The ID
Often times certain documentation will be needed for a successful applicant. Either one of several identification papers will usually suffice. These can include previous passports, certified certificates of birth, certificates of citizenship and naturalization certificates. Other items are also accepted if either of these are not available.

The Secondary Documents
Known as secondary documentation, people can prove their identity for a passport application by providing hospital birth certificates, baptismal certificates, records from a census and sometimes even early school records will do. Either of these must be paired with either a birth record or a letter of no record. Anyone applying who is under the age of fourteen will need the signature of both parents on record.

The Processing
Processing can be done through third party expediting services too. There are many options here and most offer twenty-four hour turn around. Remember that prices can vary widely so comparing prices and services offered is a good idea whenever possible.