Life is what happens when one is making other plans and sometimes these plans require an unexpected trip abroad. Those who travel often generally have a valid up-to-date passport and for them, this is not a problem. However, for others without a passport, it may not feasible to wait the common processing time of four to six weeks. Here are the steps that are involved in receiving an expedited American passport as a U.S. citizen.
While the government may try and make the process quicker and easier, their idea of quick may not mesh with what the average person thinks is quick. Granted, they are quicker than they have ever been, but expedited services can give the whole process a much needed boost to get the passport back even quicker. By paying an extra fee, rush service can be ordered and the passport should come back in about two to three weeks.
This rush service that is being paid for encompasses the time from when the application is received and accepted until the passport actually shows up in the mail box at home. If this is still not fast enough, there are other passport agencies that are outside the government that can put an even quicker rush on the documents. While there services are faster, they also charge even more money.
As you can imagine, there are some significant fees for any service over and above the standard processing fees. For regular service, the applicant will have to pay $120 to get both a passport and passport card. Getting the book alone is $20 cheaper, but is a good idea to have them both. Fees for minors are slightly less.
To receive an expedited American passport, expect to pony up and additional $60 and this can only be done by applicants within the United States. It is not possible for a citizen residing in a foreign country to request expedition. Add to the cost, which is now $180, the Department of State’s strong emphasis on using overnight delivery to receive the new passport book. After spending the extra money to rush the paperwork process, it simply does not make sense to rely on regular mail service to receive the much anticipated document.
Overnight delivery is not part of the fee structure and will cost another $15 or so. We know, the fees really start to add up, but the overnight shipping is a must for security reasons. Allowing this kind of documentation to travel through regular mail is insane. It is just too important and too sensitive to risk losing.
The form to fill out for expedited service is the DS-82. Yes, the government has a form for everything, so be prepared to write. If this is not the first passport being applied for and expedited services are requested, write the word “expedite” boldly and in plain sight on the outside of the envelope. This will ensure that it gets to the right department upon delivery.
Some expedited passport services may cost a few extra bucks, but it does make the process go much quicker. Instead of waiting for god only knows how long, the passport should be in hand in just a few weeks. The passport can actually be had in as little as 24 hours, but it will cost a pretty penny in order to make that happen. When you just can’t wait or are in an emergency situation, these services are in place to get the passport in hand in no time at all.