The Easiest Ways To Acquire A 24HR United States Passport

When traveling overseas, it is necessary to carry and present a passport. The traveler is often so worried about arranging the itinerary and packing, the passport is overlooked. When it comes time to finalize all arrangements, travelers realize that they never got a passport. In this situation, getting a 24hr new passport becomes necessary.

The rush service offered by the U.S. government costs $60 in addition to the normal processing charges. Current fees are $75 for adults and $60 for minors, plus a $25 execution charge. Payment is accepted via check, bank draft, money order, credit card, or check/debit card when the documents are presented to a Passport Agency. If the application is being presented to a post office, the applicant should contact the post office to find out what types of payment are accepted.

Money order and check are the only accepted forms of payment for applications submitted via the mail. The payment, supporting documents, and application should be packaged in a durable envelope and sent via overnight delivery. Applicants are advised to use a traceable mailing service, such as UPS or FedEx, be used in order to track the package, if necessary. Applicants should also request overnight delivery from the agency in order to speed up the process.

In addition to using this rush service for first-time applications, it may be used for renewals and amendments of existing passports. These amendments include name changes and adding extra pages to the book. There are forms required for each purpose, so the user should go online to the U.S. Department of State site in order to download and complete the proper documents.

An expedited passport will take up to three weeks for the government to process. In quoting this timeframe, the government considers the time it takes for the application to be received and processed as well as the time the passport spends in transit. If an applicant is curious where the processing stands, a quick online check at the Department of State Web site will yield the answer.

For those who need their passports quicker than the government processing time permits, there are private companies that offer expedited processing. These will require the same supporting paperwork and the federal government documents because the information will need to be processed through the government. Due to its relationship with the government, the private service is often able to turn the paperwork around in 24 to 48 hours, if requested.

The cost to get a passport within 24 hours is approximately $300. If the applicant can wait about one week, the cost drops substantially to about $149. Though this may seem like a lot of money to pay, it may be necessary in the case of unplanned travel. These private companies offer additional services, like loss protection, for a small added fee.

In cases of last minute overseas travel, individuals should get a 24hr passport. When ordered through a private company, this will cost about $150-$300, depending on the timeframe within which the U S passport is needed. The processing company will take care of everything with the government and the traveler will have the document in-hand prior to the flight.