In cases where you need to leave the country soon, the routine passport application is simply not an option. That’s because routine passport applications currently take around four to six weeks to complete, and if you’re really in a hurry, then that’s too long a wait.
In family emergencies, you wouldn’t be able to wait that long for your passport to arrive. This applies to family emergencies where you’ll need to travel out of the country as soon as possible. Good thing there’s an option for you to get a passport faster than is regularly allowed. For family emergencies, you’ll need an emergency passport.
An emergency passport is what you need in case of a family emergency that requires you to leave the country within the next two days. Emergency situations cannot wait, so emergency passports cut the waiting time you’ll spend waiting for the processing of your application. Having an emergency passport ensures that you are able to travel outside the country sooner, not later.
Now let’s discuss on how you can acquire an emergency passport. To get one, you’ll need to get in touch with the National Passport Information Agency (NPIA). They are the ones tasked on assisting people like you who need emergency passports. Call them any time of the day, and they’ll help you schedule an appointment with the passport agency nearest you. The passport agency will then help process your emergency passport.
However, there are instances where you might be unable to set a schedule with a passport agency. In cases like this, just hang in the line and your call will be forwarded to a customer service representative (CSR). From there, the CSR will provide you with other options to get your emergency passport.
However, if your reason to leave the country isn’t as urgent as a family emergency, there’s still an option for you to speed the process up. You can choose to get an expedited passport. This is ideal if you need to leave the country within the next four to ten weeks.
Expedited passports are designed for those who need to leave the country within the next 10 weeks. Current processing times for expedited passports are at two to three weeks. So if you need to get a passport during this time frame, then getting an expedited passport is the best choice you have. Take note that expedited passports require an additional fee to process. This is by no means a hefty fee. In fact, it’s a price that’s well worth every penny if you are looking for speed and convenience when applying for your passport.
At times when you are faced with a family emergency, you’ll always have the option to apply for an emergency U.S. passport. Emergency new passport cut the waiting time for passport applications so that you can be with your loved ones outside the country as soon as possible. Now if you can wait for two to three weeks to have your application processed, you can always have it expedited.
