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How to Get an Emergency Passport Renewal in 72-Hours or Less

Home » Passports » How to Obtain a U.S. Passport

Emergency passport renewals are only available to travelers with a documented life-or-death emergency that requires urgent international travel within the next 24-72 hours. This express passport renewal option can be used to renew an expired passport or one that does not meet the validity requirement for the country you need to visit.

Some reasons your passport may not be valid include:

• Your passport expired - You cannot travel abroad with an expired passport .
• Your passport expiration date is too soon - Different countries have different rules about how much validity your passport needs to have. Some countries simply require your passport to be valid for the duration of your stay. Some countries require three or six months of remaining validity on your passport.
• Your passport does not have enough remaining visa pages - You cannot add pages to a passport . As such, it's important to know how many blank passport pages countries require . This includes both countries you are traveling to and through.

In situations like these, you only have two ways to get your travel document quickly. You can either submit your application at a regional agency or you can request emergency passport renewal through an authorized expediting service .

In some circumstances, it is possible to get a passport renewal in 24 hours. However, processing delays can extend the wait time for an emergency passport to up to 3 business days.

Be Sure You Qualify for Emergency Passport Renewal

Be advised: you can only renew a passport if you meet the following criteria:

• You still physically have your most recent passport . In addition to the passport application, fees, and supporting documents, you need to submit your previous passport when applying to renew it. This means a lost or stolen passport cannot be renewed.
• Your last passport was issued within the past 15 years . U.S. passports are valid for 10 years. So, even if your passport is no longer valid, it can still be renewed as long as the expiration date is less than 5 years ago.
• Your passport is not extremely damaged . The US Department of State will not accept excessively torn, burnt, mutilated, or water damaged passports for renewal.
• You want to renew an adult passport book or passport card . A child's passport book or card does not qualify for emergency passport renewal. That said, there are expedited passport services for getting a child's passport quickly .

If your existing passport doesn't meet the requirements above, it is still possible to get emergency passport service. You need to follow this guide to getting a new passport in an emergency ; the instructions outlined below are only for an urgent passport renewal.

The Department of State approves emergency passport applications for new and first time passports as long as you can provide sufficient proof of your urgent travel needs. If you have an emergency that requires traveling internationally but don't qualify for a passport renewal, check out our guide to emergency passport service .

If you do not have proof of urgent travel plans, there are several other methods of US passport renewal that you should explore instead.

Again, be aware that getting a same-day or one-day passport renewal is typically only available to those who have sufficent proof of a life-or-death emergency.

What Qualifies as a Life or Death Emergency for Urgent Passport Service?

Per the U.S. Department of State website:

To qualify for life-or-death emergency service, your immediate family member must be a parent, legal guardian, child, spouse, sibling, or grandparent.

To be clear, other relatives such as aunts, uncles, cousins do not qualify for life-or-death emergency service. Furthermore, simply visiting another country for medical treatments or medication doesn't qualify, either.

Note : You will need to supply sufficient proof to the Department of State to qualify for this level of expedited service.

The process remains the same as getting an emergency passport renewal for urgent travel, with the exception being how you make the appointment.

• On Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (ET), call 1-877-487-2778.
• If you have a life-or-death emergency after 8:00 p.m. (ET) on Mondays through Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays, call 202-647-4000. This number is not for use between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (ET) on Mondays through Fridays.

Emergency Passport Renewal at a Regional Agency

If you choose to attempt an emergency passport renewal on your own, know that there is no room for error. Even a simple mistake can delay your international travel.

There are three steps that must must happen in order for you to renew a US passport at a regional processing center.

Depending on the time of year and the passport agency you call, it may require several attempts to finally reach a representative.

A walk in appointment is possible, but it is a big risk-especially if you have an emergency. Calling to make an appointment ahead of time is a better choice.

• Completed Form DS-82 - This is the standard U.S. passport application document for renewing an adult passport.
• Your most recent passport - Again, passports must have been issued within the past 15 years and be relatively undamaged (normal wear and tear is acceptable).
• One passport photo - Passport photos must be taken within the last 6 months and follow the passport photo size and content guidelines issued by the Department of State.

When applying in person at a passport office, you can pay your passport fees with cash (exact amount only), check, money order, or most credit or debit cards (including most pre-paid cards).

• Name change documentation - If your name has been legally changed since you got your previous passport, you also need submit an official document to support this.
• Evidence of travel - Most, regional agencies require evidence of travel if you are applying for emergency passport services. This is the only way you can get the fastest processing time.

Emergency Renewals through an Expedited Passport Courier Service

Applicants who do not want to take the time to make an appointment or who are unable to travel to the nearest regional agency, can authorize a registered expediter to submit the US passport renewal application form on their behalf. For some people, this is the fastest, and most cost-effective way to get emergency passports . It also reduces the risk of errors or delays.

To get emergency passport service through a passport expediting service, follow the steps below:

• Complete the online application form
• Send the following to the passport expediter:
• Completed and signed form DS-82
• Your current passport
• New passport photos
• Payment for all fees
• Any proof of your emergency travel needs
• Any additional documentation of legal name change

Since you need a passport so quickly, you should select same day passport service and send your documents using two-way overnight delivery like priority mail express.

At this point, you should receive a status update including projected processing times for your emergency passport renewal.

• When the application has been processed, a representative will visit the agency on your behalf and pick up your renewed passport. It will then be sent to you by express mail.

Click for reliable expedited passport courier service .

Emergency Passport Service While Traveling Abroad

American citizens who are traveling abroad and need to renew a United States passport quickly due to an emergency can do this at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate general. Emergency or limited-validity passports can be issued the same day. They are usually valid for one year but can be replaced before the expiration date for a full-validity passport at no additional cost. If you find yourself in this situation, you can find a U.S. embassy or consulate general here .

Emergency Passports for Minors

As mentioned previously, passports for a minor cannot be renewed-even in an emergency. However, you can still get a passport for a child quickly, whether there is an emergency need to travel or not.

There are a very unique set of steps you must follow. Check out our guide for expediting a passport for a minor .

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?

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Need A New U.S. Passport Fast? Here’s How You Can Speed Up the Process

From emergency travel to suddenly realizing your passport has expired right before a big international trip, there are numerous situations that might require a quick passport turnaround..

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Sometimes we need a new passport sooner than we realized.

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Whether last-minute travel plans have suddenly sprung up or a big international trip is here before you had time to double-check the expiration date on your passport, it’s not uncommon for travelers to have to expedite their U.S. passport applications.

Several other situations might require a new or renewed passport in a hurry as well. For example, some countries don’t permit entry if your passport has less than six months of validity. Some international destinations, like South Africa, require that you have at least two consecutive blank pages in your passport book. It’s important to check the U.S. State Department’s website for each country’s visa and passport requirements or contact your airline or travel agency before you hit the road to make sure that your travel documents will be accepted upon arrival.

The process (for both renewing and getting a new passport quickly ) is fairly similar to the regular application process , which can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Due to a big surge in demand for new and renewed U.S. passports—the U.S. State Department processed nearly 22 million passports in 2022, more than at any point since tallying began in 1974— standard passport processing times inched back up in early 2023.

Here’s what you need to know to get a passport in your hands as quickly as possible.

How long does it take to get an expedited passport?

During the pandemic, even expedited services experienced a massive slowdown. Thankfully, both regular and rushed passport processing times started to come down toward the end of 2021. But in early 2023, regular passport processing times crept back up due to a massive influx in applications—the standard processing period is 8 to 11 weeks, according to a March 2023 update from the State Department, up from the 6 to 9 weeks for a routine passport application in January 2023.

If you apply for an expedited passport directly though the U.S. State Department, processing times are about 5 to 7 weeks, according to a March 7 update —but that doesn’t include mail delivery times, which according to the State Department can add “several weeks” to the total processing time.

“Processing times begin the day we receive your application at a passport agency or center, not the day you mail your application or apply. Mailing times may add several weeks on to the door-to-door time it takes to receive your passport,” the State Department reports.

Nevertheless, the 5- to 7-week time frame is down from the 12 to 18 weeks the agency had estimated for expedited passport service during the pandemic. For a faster turnaround, an expeditor like RushMyPassport.com offers services that are as speedy as one or two weeks, but it’ll cost: The fastest one-week service is about $800. At press time, RushMyPassport.com offered expedited passport services ranging from 1 to 10 weeks from the time documents are received by the agency.

If you need it within 7 weeks, you can still do it yourself

If you have a life-or-death emergency or urgent international travel coming up within 14 days, you can make an in-person appointment at one of the 26 passport agencies throughout the United States. You must have an appointment to visit an agency, and the only way to make an appointment is by calling 1-877-487-2778.

You can also apply via mail. The window for expediting is 5 to 7 weeks, but as mentioned above that doesn’t include mail delivery times, which can vary widely across the country.

How to apply for an expedited passport

Don’t wait until you’re at the airport to find out your passport isn’t travel ready.

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To apply for a rushed passport, begin at the State Department’s website , where a handy checklist will keep you from making a mistake that could slow down the process. The $60 expediting fee (plus overnight shipping) is not refundable, so make sure you have dotted all your i’s and crossed all your t’s when applying. This fee is in addition to the standard $130 application fee—so $190 total for the expedited passport service (not including shipping). First-time applicants are charged an additional $35 execution fee.

If you want the expedited service, you need to send your application using Priority Mail Express with the U.S. Postal Service. The State Department recommends that applicants send their application via trackable mail so that applicants can know exactly when it arrives and enters the system. Travelers can also opt for one- to two-day return delivery of their passport for an extra $19.53, to help speed things along somewhat.

If you score an appointment to apply in person, you must use form DS-11. To apply by mail, you’ll need to use the form DS-82 (you can download these forms here ). Submitted forms must be single-sided and printed clearly. Complete the application online before printing it out or by hand in black or blue ink; remember to write “expedited” on the envelope and include two recent photos that meet the passport photo specifications. If applying by mail, you must include a check; if applying in person, find out what methods of payment are allowed at your specific acceptance facility.

You can renew your passport by mail and can begin the process online as long as you are in possession of your expired or expiring passport; your passport was issued when you were age 16 or older; it was issued within the past 15 years; and it was issued to your current name or you have documentation to support a name change. Children under 16, all first-time applicants, and applicants who have lost their passport or had it stolen must apply in person.

You can make a free appointment ahead of time but spaces are limited—passport agencies and acceptance facilities are not accepting walk-in services and require advance appointments. Acceptance facilities include post offices, clerks of court, libraries, and local government offices. If you want to apply at a post office, you need to make an appointment at USPS.com . Other acceptance facilities may be requiring advance appointments as well.

Passport agency appointments must be scheduled over the phone by calling 1-877-487-2778 or 1-888-874-7793 TDD/TTY between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. The online appointment system was disabled after an underground market developed; third parties using bots would secure urgent appointments and then sell them to travelers in a bind. Many of these were not even legitimate appointments.

How an expeditor can (and can’t) help

Expediting agencies are companies that assist with rushed passport applications. They charge an additional fee (on top of the standard passport application fee and expedited passport service fee) but can often help navigate the ins and outs of the expediting process. Services like RushMyPassport.com double-check your application before it gets submitted and catch any errors or snags that might slow it down. The fastest turnaround time RushMyPassport.com offers is one week for $799 or a two-week option for $599. Even these can be limited in availability since expeditors also rely on a subset of appointments being available.

David Alwadish, CEO and founder of ItsEasy Passport & Visa , notes that the expediting slots get snatched up quickly. ItsEasy Passport & Visa currently charges $45 for its four-week passport processing service and $895 for one-day service. “One- to three-day passport service requires urgent travel. Please contact us for details,” the agency advises. Do-it-yourselfers can also use his company’s ItsEasy Passport App to submit applications for standard passport processing.

If you need it within 24 to 72 hours, try going to an agency in person

If it’s a life-or-death emergency , such as an illness, injury, or a death in your immediate family, getting an emergency appointment at an agency in person is the only option. Instead of wasting a day with overnight shipping, you can save valuable time by going in-person—even if you have to fly to a passport agency in the departure city of your international flight. In these circumstances, it can take anywhere between 24 and 72 hours depending on where you apply and if you can provide accepted documentation, such as a death certificate or signed documentation from medical personnel.

One final tip . . .

The best thing you can do to avoid paying extra for expediting your passport is to set a calendar reminder for nine months before the expiration date of your current valid passport, for those who have one. At that point, you can look ahead at your travels and figure out the best 18-week period to apply—one where, ideally, you know you won’t be heading abroad. If you travel frequently enough that such a period is hard to identify, you may want to look into the option of applying for a second passport .

This article was originally published in 2019. It was updated on March 7, 2023, to include current information.

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How to Get an Expedited Passport

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Say you've booked the perfect international getaway just to find that your passport has expired. Or, perhaps you didn't realize that your travel destination requires that your passport have at least six months of validity. Whatever your case may be, Americans have a few options for getting an expedited passport — whether you're renewing it or applying for a new one.

Here's what you need to know about your options for getting a passport on short notice.

» Learn more: The guide to different types of U.S. passports

How long does it take to get an expedited passport?

U.S. passport processing times vary depending on the current demand for new passports and passport renewals. The currently posted timelines for routine and expedited processing are as follows:

Routine processing: Six to eight weeks.

Expedited processing: Two to three weeks.

Keep in mind that these are just the processing time once your passport application is received. Make sure to factor in that it can take up to two weeks for the State Department to receive your mailed application and up to another two weeks for you to receive your completed passport. You can shorten this mailing time by sending your application by express mail and paying for faster return shipping.

It's worth noting that current passport processing times are far higher than in the past. For reference, in December 2019, routine passport requests only took six to eight weeks. Expediting your passport application slashed that processing time to just two to three weeks — or just eight days if you renewed at a passport agency.

While we wait for processing times to return to those levels, here are your options for expediting your U.S. passport application.

» Learn more: Need a passport for a trip? Give yourself a big time cushion

How to expedite a U.S. passport application

The best option to expedite your passport application will depend on how quickly you need your passport. The U.S. Department of State currently offers three types of expedited passport application options: Expedited, Urgent Travel, and Emergency.

Here's a breakdown of each option and how to take advantage of each one.

Expedited passport applications

Submit an expedited passport application request if you're traveling in a few months and the current up-to-11-week standard processing time would cut it too close. The process is otherwise identical to a routine application, simply requiring an additional $60 fee on top of standard passport fees.

New passport applicants can submit an expedited application at a passport acceptance facility. Travelers renewing a passport can submit an expedited renewal application by mail.

Note that the State Department has a money-back guarantee on expedited requests. You can apply for a refund of your $60 expedited fee if the agency doesn't process your application within:

35 business days (excluding weekends and holidays) of receiving an application submitted on Oct. 2, 2023 or later.

45 business days (excluding weekends and holidays) of receiving an application submitted on or before Oct. 1, 2023.

Remember to factor in mailing times when figuring whether or not an expedited application will get you your passport in time to travel. If you want to shorten the overall processing time, send your application to the State Department by express mail. You can also include an extra $19.53 with your application fees for expedited 1-2 day return shipping of your completed passport.

» Learn more: How much does a passport cost?

Urgent travel passport appointments

If an expedited passport application isn't fast enough, you'll need to apply for an in-person appointment at a passport agency. You can only schedule an urgent travel application if you haven't yet applied for a passport and you have international travel booked within 14 days.

You can also get an urgent travel appointment if you've applied for a passport but still haven't received it and your travel date is quickly approaching. In this case, you can only schedule an appointment within five calendar days of your international departure date.

To determine your eligibility, you must provide your travel dates and destinations when calling for an urgent travel appointment. Then, bring printed proof of your international travel to your passport appointment. If you don't provide proof of travel, the passport agency may not honor your appointment request.

The State Department operates around two dozen passport agencies across the U.S. If you don't live in a city with a passport agency, you'll need to travel to one of these locations to submit your urgent travel passport application request.

In addition to potential travel costs, you'll need to pay an additional $60 expedited fee to the passport agency at the time of your appointment.

If you qualify for an urgent travel appointment, call 1-877-487-2778 to see what appointments are available. We recommend calling for an appointment as soon as you're possibly eligible — 14 days before departure if you haven't applied yet or five days out if you've already applied — as spots are extremely limited.

» Learn more: 4 times when you should renew your passport

Emergency passport appointments

The U.S. State Department clearly realizes that some situations require special treatment. You can apply for a so-called "life-or-death emergency" appointment at a passport agency if you need to travel internationally within three business days because an immediate family located outside the United States has died, is dying, or has a life-threatening illness or injury.

For the sake of this appointment type, the State Department considers an immediate family member as a:

Parent or legal guardian.

Grandparent.

Travel to visit other family members (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) in these situations or to travel to get medical services for yourself do not qualify for life-or-death emergency passport service.

To get a life-or-death passport appointment, call 1-877-487-2778 between 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time from Monday to Friday. Outside of these hours and on weekends and federal holidays, call 202-647-4000 instead.

» Learn more: How to get a passport in one day

If you need to expedite a U.S. passport…

Options for expediting a passport range from paying $60 more for an expedited application to applying in person at a passport agency in urgent situations.

If you're traveling in the next few months, don't count on getting your passport anytime soon. Routine passport processing takes weeks — and that doesn't include mailing times. Instead, apply as soon as possible and pay for expedited service.

To get your passport back quicker, pay extra for expedited shipping to and from the agency. Then, if you don't receive your passport as your travel date nears, make an appointment at a passport agency within five days of travel to make sure you have a passport in time to travel.

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Update April 12, 2024

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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. 

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