Travel Tips

Life is so unexpected that foreign travel plans may present themselves with little advance notice. Individuals traveling abroad must have a passport or they will need to get one prior to travel. Often the traveler does not have the amount of advance notice that falls within the standard eight-week or expedited four-week processing time required by the government. In cases of family emergency, there is often no time to waste so alternative options to obtain a rush passport must be considered.

A rush passport can be obtained in as little as 1 to 2 business days by using one of the many online services available. These services help to expedite the application process and get the new passport back to an individual in record time. There is of course, a fee for this that can be as high as $300.00, depending on the time frame given for the new passport.

Using one of these passport-processing services is relatively easy. The applicant will fill out the standard government passport application in addition to an order form and possibly a waiver form required by the company. These companies have all the required forms posted on their Web sites and they provide step-by-step instructions for completing the forms. They also have customer service staff able to answer any additional questions that may arise during the application process.

Proper identification will also need to be provided to the online service agent in order to receive a rush passport. This begins with a copy of the applicant’s birth certificate and it must be a copy from the city, county or state of birth. Certified copies that do not carry the seal from one of these entities will not be accepted.

The applicant must also provide a document that proves identity. A naturalization certificate, valid driver’s license, current government identification (city, state, or federal), or current military identification will meet this requirement. If the applicant does not possess one of these forms of identification, there are secondary forms that are acceptable. These include a combination of signature documents such as a Social Security Card, credit card, employee ID, or a library card. As many of these documents should be provided as possible. An identifying witness may also complete an affidavit swearing to the applicant’s identity.

The passport application, required documentation, and passport photos must be submitted in one package to the processing company. The package should be mailed via a service that permits package tracking. Tracking service will allow the applicant to make sure that the package arrived safely at its destination. The package should be sent via overnight delivery if the passport is desired within 24 to 48 hours.

When using a private processing company, the passport applicant will need to send two separate payments. The first amount will be payable directly to the government for passport processing. The second amount will be payable to the service company for their rush processing charges. The acceptable forms of payment are personal check, certified check, or money order.

Take advantage of those last-minute travel deals abroad, but be sure to set aside some extra money to get a urgent U.S. passport if necessary. With an online US passport service, there will be no worry that the passport will not arrive prior to departure. The traveler will be free to focus on packing, finding a sitter for the dog, and arranging to get to the airport for the vacation of a lifetime.

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