Travel and leisure

For most people, going through the four to six week routine passport application process is normally a reasonable waiting period. This is often the case for people who need passports but do not need to travel within the six week processing time. However, there are times when you need to get a passport quickly. And that’s where you’ll either need to have your application expedited or apply for an Emergency Passport Application.

Let’s start with the application for an expedited passport. For those who cannot wait for the four to six week waiting period in routine passport processing, you can take advantage of the expedited processing option. This is ideal for those who need to travel sooner than four weeks and thus need to have a quick way of having their passports processed.

When applying for an expedited U.S. Passport, you can expect your passport to be available in around two to three weeks. Because of its fast processing times, the US Department of State recommends expedited passports to travelers who need to leave the country in ten weeks or less. Two to three weeks can still be a long waiting period, but it is definitely more convenient than a routine application.

Who needs an expedited passport? Let’s be a little more particular here. Those who need an expedited passport are those who need to travel in less than two weeks, or those who need their passport within four weeks to apply for a foreign visa. That’s the rule of thumb when you’re thinking about applying for an expedited passport.

But then again, two to three weeks can still be a very long waiting period for some people. What if an emergency happens to your loved ones who are based outside the United States? You definitely would need to be there sooner than later. And in these emergency situations, waiting for two to three weeks is definitely not an option.

The US Department of State allows citizens to apply for emergency passports in cases where there are family emergencies they need to attend to in a foreign country. You will need to apply for this especially if you need to leave within the next 48 hours. Now let’s move on to the application of an emergency passport.

To get an emergency passport, you would have to contact the National Passport Information Agency regarding this. Because this agency deals with emergency situations, you can contact them at any time of the day, the whole year. There are cases, however, when you may not be able to set an appointment with them in order to obtain an emergency passport. In case that happens to you, just stay on the line when you call them, and a customer service representative will attend to you. The representative will provide you with more options so you can get your passport immediately.

Usually, an expedited passport application would work for most people. But in cases where you are faced with a family emergency, the Emergency Passport is what you need to leave the country in less than 48 hours.