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Make an Appointment at a Passport Agency

Life-or-Death Emergencies

Courier and Expeditor Companies

• Life-or-Death Emergency  (appointment required)
• Urgent Travel  (appointment required)
• Routine      
• Consider the total time it will take to get a passport when you are booking travel. Processing times + mailing times (up to 2 weeks) = total time to get a passport

Expand the options below to learn more about the four types of service we offer.

Choose this service if you have a life-or-death emergency and you are traveling within 72 hours (3 business days). see our  life-or-death emergencies  page for more information on how to make an appointment. , choose this service if you are traveling in less than 2-3 weeks.  if you have not applied, make an appointment online . your appointment at a  passport agency or center  must within 14 calendar days of your international travel date.  if you have already applied, call us at 1-877-487-2778 .  we cannot guarantee an appointment will be available. , choose this service if you are traveling in less than 8 weeks from the date you submit your application.  expedited service takes 2-3 weeks and does not include mailing times. mailing times may add 2 weeks on to the total time to get your passport. you can  expedite at an acceptance facility  or  expedite a renewal by mail .    , choose this service if you are traveling over 8 weeks from the date you submit your application. routine service takes 6-8 weeks and does not include mailing times. mailing times may add 2 weeks on to the total time to get your passport. you can apply for routine service at an  acceptance facility  or  renew by mail .    , contacting us if you have urgent travel.

Check your application status online and sign up for updates via email . How our contact center can help you depends on your travel date, and if you have applied or not yet applied...

I have already applied and do not have my passport

I have not applied yet, reminders for contacting us.

• Representatives are available Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. We close on federal holidays.
• Our primary number is 1-877-487-2778 . Se habla español.
• If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call 1-888-874-7793 for TDD/TTY teletype services.
• Contact your local U.S. embassy or consulate if you are applying outside the United States.

Traveling in Less Than 2-3 Weeks

Make an appointment at a passport agency or center.

We have two types of appointments:  Life-or-Death Emergency Service  and  Urgent Travel Service .

• You cannot walk in without an appointment. 
• We do not charge a fee to make an appointment.
• You cannot transfer your appointment to another customer.

Life-or-Death Emergency Service is for customers who are traveling in the next 3 business days for a life-or-death emergency. Learn more on our  Life-or-Death Emergency page .

Urgent Travel Service : If you have not yet applied , make an appointment online . Your appointment must be scheduled within 14 calendar days of your international travel date.  

If you have already applied , call 1-877-487-2778 . 

We cannot guarantee an appointment will be available. 

Traveling in Less Than 8 Weeks

Expedite a first-time application or a child's application.

Use our Form Filler to fill out Form DS-11, print it, and apply in person at an acceptance facility.

• Follow the steps on how to apply in person
• Include your $60 expedite fee with the application fee
• Find an  acceptance facility  near you to submit your application

Expedite a Renewal or Name Change by Mail

Use our Form Filler  to fill out your form, print it, and mail it to us.

• Use Form DS-82 if you are renewing. Follow the steps on how to mail your application
• Use Form DS-5504 if you are changing your name within one year of a passport being issued. Follow the steps on how to change your name.
• Include the $60 expedite fee with the application fee
• Write "EXPEDITE" on the outside of the envelope you send us

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i pay for faster delivery and return shipping.

Yes. You may choose one or both of the following shipment options:

• Delivering application to us : Pay for Priority Mail Express for faster shipping. The price for this service varies depending on the area of the country.
• Returning the passport to you : Pay $19.53 for 1-2 day delivery. This means you will receive your passport   1-2 days after we send it. Include this fee with your check or money order payable to the U.S. Department of State. Do not submit a return envelope to us with postage pre-paid. 

You may receive your passport and supporting documents in separate mailings. If you are renewing a passport card, we will send it to you via First Class Mail. We do not use 1-2 day delivery services if you only applied for a passport card.

What are passport expeditors and courier companies?

Passport expeditors and couriers are companies that are not part of the U.S. Department of State. These companies submit applications and pick up passports for customers. 

These companies may charge several hundred dollars in extra fees. They may also charge for services that we offer for free such as making an appointment and filling out a form. 

To learn more about these companies, visit our  Passport Expeditor and Courier page .

Make An Appointment at a Passport Agency or Center

We have two types of appointments: Life-or-Death Emergency Service and Urgent Travel Service . You cannot walk-in. 

Not Yet Applied : Make an appointment online

Already Applied : Call  1-877-487-2778 . Se habla español.

If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call  1-888-874-7793  for TDD/TTY teletype services. 

Processing Times

Routine:  6-8 weeks*

Expedited: 2-3 weeks and an extra $60*

*Consider the total time it will take to get a passport when you are booking travel.  Processing times only include the time your application is at a passport agency or center.

• It may take up to 2 weeks for applications to arrive at a passport agency or center. It may take up to 2 weeks for you to receive a completed passport after we print it. 
• Processing times + mailing times = total time to get a passport

Urgent Travel:  See our Get my Passport Fast page. 

Requesting a Refund for Expedited Service

Service Commitment

If you paid the $60 fee for expedited service when you applied and you did not receive expedited service, you may be eligible to  request a refund  of this fee. We cannot refund any other passport fees or your travel expenses if you miss your trip.

Non-Refundable Fees

We cannot refund the passport application fee and the execution fee. By law, we collect both fees and keep them even if a passport is not issued.

Learn more about refunds on our Refund of Expedited Passport Fee page.

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Find out how to apply for or renew a passport and what to do if your passport is lost or stolen.

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You need a passport to travel to most countries outside the U.S. Learn how to apply in person.

Renew an adult passport

Find out if you can renew your passport or have to get a new one. Learn how to renew your passport by mail or in person in an emergency.

Get a passport for a minor under 18

Find out how to get a child's passport, depending on their age.

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If your passport is lost or stolen you must report it to the State Department right away. How you replace it depends on if you are inside or outside the U.S.

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Emergency Passport Service

Emergency passport service while abroad.

Emergency Passport Service in the United States

Click for reliable expedited passport courier service .

Same Day Passport FAQ

Top 5 questions about expedited passport couriers.

1. How can you get a passport when you're in a hurry? 2. What exactly does a passport expediter do? 3. Are passport expediting services legitimate? 4. How can I identify a reliable passport expeditor? 5. Is expedited passport service worth it?

You can also visit our library of articles about passport expediting .

In a Hurry? Get Reliable Expedited Passport Courier Service: Expedite My U.S.Passport Now!

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Money Talks News

3 Ways to Renew Your Passport in a Hurry — and Everything Else to Know

Posted: February 6, 2024 | Last updated: February 6, 2024

Excited to have a vacation on the horizon, I bought airline tickets for a trip out of the country recently. To my shock, the airline alerted me that my passport would expire before my trip. Suddenly, I needed to move fast to get the passport renewed.

There’s been a big demand for passports in recent years, with the growth of overseas travel. “In 1990, only 5 percent of Americans had a passport. Today, that number is 48 percent,” the State Department says . For a time the agency fell behind its goal of processing applications within six to eight weeks for routine applications, although it says that it has caught up now.

Besides the routine approach for renewing a passport, there are three other, faster ways to renew: expedited, urgent and emergency. Each has rules, fees and processing times.

Read on to learn about your options to renew a passport, including official routes (click the timelines for details) and how to speed up a renewal application that’s already in the system. We also look briefly at private companies — couriers and expediters not affiliated with the government — that claim to process passport renewals quickly.

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Routine passport renewal timeline

• Time left before travel: Eight weeks or more
• Fees : Passport book, $130; passport card (not good for international air travel), $30. Postage not included. Optional one- to two-day delivery service, $19.53, is available for passport books only.

Submit a routine renewal application if you’re not in a rush. Routine processing time is six to eight weeks, not including mailing.

According to a hotline agent I spoke with, you can either renew by mail or make an appointment with a passport agency near you. (For now, a trial online system has been paused .) Download and complete Form DS-82 , or use the online Form Filler Tool and print the completed form at home.

As you’d expect, government forms and rules can be fussy. This link explains how to apply, including how to take a good photo. Children under age 16 aren’t eligible to renew using Form DS-82. Instead, use Form DS-11 and apply in person. You can get help — no charge — filling out forms, answering questions and assembling your application at one of many official passport acceptance facilities (including post offices, libraries and some local government offices).

1. Expedited passport renewal

• Time left before travel: Less than eight weeks

Fees: $60 expediting fee on top of application fee

Submit your expedited renewal application by mail or in person at a passport acceptance facility . Processing time (not including mailing) is two to three weeks.

Here’s how I made my expedited renewal application:

• On advice from the National Passport Information Center hotline (1-877-487-2778), I took my completed application, regulation passport photos , old passport and a check for the application and processing fees to a U.S. Post Office. The passport hotline is open weekdays 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• I put everything in a USPS’ Priority Mail Express envelope, since I was in a hurry to receive my renewed passport. I called the passport hotline, and they advised using the one- to two-day delivery service for an additional fee.
• My new passport arrived in two weeks, quicker than I’d dared hope. My old passport was returned separately.

Using USPS Priority Mail Express was a great tip from the hotline. Otherwise, an application can spend up to two weeks in the mail to the passport agency; and your new passport could spend another two weeks in the return mail.

2. Urgent passport renewal

• Time left before travel: Two to three weeks

For urgent travel (if you’re traveling within 14 days or if you need a foreign visa within four weeks), you can skip the mail and make an appointment (no charge) online to visit a passport agency or center . It’s OK to make your appointment as many as 14 days in advance, but the appointment itself must fall within five calendar days of your departure. No specific processing time is given for urgent applications.

Related: Half of All Retirees Say They Fear This

One hitch: “Appointments are limited and we cannot guarantee one will be available,” the State Department says . Walk-ins are not accepted.

3. Emergency passport renewal

Time left before travel: Three business days (72 hours)

This category of renewals is reserved for a life-or-death emergency that requires international travel. You’ll need an appointment. It’s OK to book the appointment as far as two weeks in advance but the appointment itself must be within three business days of your international travel.

Before making the appointment you’ll need to document the emergency. Here’s how to apply for an emergency passport renewal . Bring proof of travel to your appointment.

The emergency provision is for a documented “life-or-death” emergency involving an immediate family member (not aunt, uncle, cousin, or other relative) outside of the United States who:

• Is dying (in hospice care)
• Has a life-threatening injury or illness

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Upgrading a passport application already in the system

If you’ve already submitted a passport renewal application but need to travel sooner than you’d thought, you can apply to upgrade your application.

The State Department explains how to proceed if you’ve already got an application in the system and have urgent travel. Call the passport hotline for instructions.

Are couriers and expediters worth it?

Some people, hoping to move quickly and willing to spend more money, use private courier and expediter companies . Such companies are not affiliated with the government, despite what some may say or imply.

A service may promise fast service for an additional fee. But with an outside service, “you will not receive your passport faster than applying at one of our passport agencies ,” the State Department says.

Some services may offer to wait in line for you, mail your documents or make an appointment on your behalf. But the State Department doesn’t charge for appointments and says, “If you are asked to pay for an appointment, you should consider the request to be fraudulent.”

The State Department doesn’t back promises from private companies or guarantee documents’ safety in the hands of couriers and expediters.

Also, scammers sometimes pose as passport expediters and courier companies. Experian, the credit agency, tells how to protect yourself from passport scams . The State Department also maintains a list of registered couriers .

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False claim migrants in the US illegally need passports for air or land travel | Fact check

The claim: Individuals in the US illegally must now carry a passport to travel by air or land

[ En Español : Falso: inmigrantes que están ilegalmente en EE.UU. necesitan pasaporte para viajar ]

A March 17 Instagram video ( direct link , archive link ) shows a man talking about immigration documentation.

"Immigrants who do not have legal immigration status from this moment on, if you want to travel, even within the United States whether on local flights or by land by vehicle, you must carry your passport from this moment on,” says the commentator in the video.

The post garnered more than 6,000 likes in five days.

More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page

Our rating: False

The Transportation Security Administration accepts passports and other forms of identification, such as a driver's license, for individuals who are in the country illegally and want to travel. Such travelers without passports will need to verify identities with facial recognition to travel.

The TSA accepts passports and other forms of identification

The TSA accepts various identification from travelers , including foreign government-issued passports and state-issued enhanced driver's licenses.   

“To travel domestically in the U.S., TSA requires a valid form of identification which can be either a state- or federal-issued identification document,” Kelley Ortega , an attorney at the Jaime Barron Immigration Law Group, told USA TODAY. “A foreign passport is also often accepted. In practice, lots of individuals who are apprehended and released at the border either have no passport or have their passport confiscated and, as such, would not be able to present a valid identification to travel by plane with TSA upon their release.”

The post may be based on a report from the Associated Press on March 14 that noted the government has started requiring migrants without passports to submit to facial recognition technology to verify their identity if they want to take a domestic flight. But there are no reputable reports of passports being required to travel at all, contrary to the post's claim that they are mandatory even for land-based travel.

Fact check : Biden didn't remove bald eagle from passports; photo placed on different page

For immigrants already in the country illegally, 19 states and the District of Columbia allow them to obtain driver’s licenses, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. A driver's license is a document approved by the TSA for boarding a flight.

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Our fact-check sources:

• Transportation Security Administration, accessed March 21, Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint
• Kelley Ortega, March 21, Email exchange and phone call with USA TODAY
• Associated Press, March 14, Migrants lacking passports must now submit to facial recognition to board flights in US
• National Conference of State Legislatures, March 13, 2023, States Offering Driver’s Licenses to Immigrants

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here .

USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta .