Best way to expedite a passport?

[Wyliefan]

I'm going to Canada for vacation on the 22nd, and -- of course -- I just found out I let my passport expire. I need to get it renewed as quickly as possible. I'm looking at Fastport, a service that expedites passport services -- they have a good rating on Yelp and a good grade from the BBB. Does anyone have experience with them, or know any other good service? Just thought I should ask around a bit before I go ahead. Thanks!

 

[ballettmaus]

In Germany, we have something that is called "substitute" passport. I had to get one years ago because my actual passport was at the US consulate to get ist visa for my time as an exchange student. Anyway, the passport usually takes three days and is valid for only three months or so. Maybe the US has something similar?

 

[BlueRidge]

I'm going to Canada for vacation on the 22nd, and -- of course -- I just found out I let my passport expire. I need to get it renewed as quickly as possible. I'm looking at Fastport, a service that expedites passport services -- they have a good rating on Yelp and a good grade from the BBB. Does anyone have experience with them, or know any other good service? Just thought I should ask around a bit before I go ahead. Thanks!

My sister just got her passport expedited. I don't think she used a service, but let me check with her what she did.

 

[Jenya]

I had to renew my passport a few years ago in a similar amount of time (about 3 weeks) and just paid for expedited processing directly from the State Department and didn't use a service. It came back in plenty of time.

 

[BlueRidge]

I had to renew my passport a few years ago in a similar amount of time (about 3 weeks) and just paid for expedited processing directly from the State Department and didn't use a service. It came back in plenty of time.

Yes this is what I think my sister just did. And they track it for you. She doesn't need it until end of July but I think she said that she would get within 10 days?

 

[maatTheViking]

I'm going to Canada for vacation on the 22nd, and -- of course -- I just found out I let my passport expire. I need to get it renewed as quickly as possible. I'm looking at Fastport, a service that expedites passport services -- they have a good rating on Yelp and a good grade from the BBB. Does anyone have experience with them, or know any other good service? Just thought I should ask around a bit before I go ahead. Thanks!

I would not use any third party services. On the US passport website, they have processing time listed for various options:

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/where-to-apply.html

it seems like your best bet is to apply in person at a passport agency

1. Are you traveling within 2 weeks or do you need to obtain a foreign visa within 4 weeks?

Apply in person at a Department of State Passport Agency

• You may apply for any service (first-time application, renewal, passport card, etc.) at a passport agency.
• You must pay the Expedite Fee when applying at a passport agency.
• Appointments and proof of immediate international travel are required. See detailed instructions for the agency where you wish to apply on their agency page

I just renewed mini-vikings passport, but since we are not travelling until August I just used regular (which takes about 6 weeks).

 

[Wyliefan]

Thanks, but it looks like I'm not eligible for that unless I wait nearly a week. And at this point I kind of hate to do that!

 

[maatTheViking]

Would the 3 week expedited service work?

 

[Wyliefan]

Afraid not. The trip is in just under three weeks.

Leave it to me to end up with the worst possible time frame for this.

 

[Artemis@BC]

How are you travelling? Because you might not actually need a passport if you have other acceptable ID.

http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/travel-voyage/td-dv-eng.html#_s2a

However I think you'd still need your passport to re-enter the US if you're travelling by air:

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/western-hemisphere-travel-initiative

 

[Wyliefan]

I'm traveling by plane.

 

[Artemis@BC]

Depending on how long you're going to be in Canada, I wonder if it's possible to have your passport shipped to your address here. Since you can enter Canada with just your birth certificate + driver's licence, you wouldn't need the passport til you fly back home again.

But the passport dept might not allow that ...

 

[Erin]

Thanks, but it looks like I'm not eligible for that unless I wait nearly a week. And at this point I kind of hate to do that!

If the US is anything like Canada in this regard, you are probably best off waiting to be eligible for that service. Anyone I know that has ever used the Canadian expedited service has had their passport provided on the exact day needed in time for travel with no issues. I had an unexpected trip home in February and decided to take advantage of it to get my passport done then (cause otherwise I would have had to mail it from the US) and I went in on a Wednesday, paid my extra fee for expedited service, and had it back by Friday for my flight on Sunday. No issues whatsoever.

 

[maatTheViking]

IF you live close enough to the state agency (looks like there is one per state). I would wait too.

 

[MacMadame]

Or you could just tell them you need to travel in 2 weeks.

 

[Erin]

I assumed that evidence of the travel date is needed to get the expedited service. Although now that I think about it, I wasn't asked for evidence of mine, so maybe lying would work

 

[Wyliefan]

No, pretty sure they require evidence.

 

[Deleted member 221]

No, pretty sure they require evidence.

Buy a refundable Amtrak ticket to Canada, then cancel after you have your passport.

A friend of mine did this because he lost his driver's license three days before he needed to travel, had an expired passport, and had domestic airline reservation. Worked like a charm.

 

[once_upon]

I had a friend whose passport was to expire 12 days before their trip to Mexico. She went to Minneapolis to the regional (I think that's what its called), filled all the paperwork for expedited application. They stayed in Minneapolis for a three day visit with friends. When they got home to Omaha, the passport was waiting in the mailbox.

Good luck!

 

[vesperholly]

I got my first passport, non-expedited, in three weeks. Granted that was in 2008, but I believe the wait times are overestimated so people don't wait until the last minute.

 

[emason]

I renewed my passport, non-expedited, last October. Everyone told me I would be lucky if I got it back in 3 months. I got it back in exactly 2 weeks.

 

[jeffisjeff]

This thread made me go check my kids' passports, since we are driving to Canada later this summer. Of course, they expire one month before the trip, but the trip is soon enough that going through the regular process of getting new ones (not renewal since that isn't an option for kids) is too risky. Luckily, it seems that their birth certificates will be fine since we are driving, not flying, into Canada.

 

[Moto Guzzi]

I lost my passport and had to get a new one because I was going on a cruise within six weeks. I used the expedited service but, because I had lost my passport, I had to go in person to a post office that processed the passports. I called a number of post offices in my area and learned I needed an appointment and couldn't get one for weeks. Finally, one of the employees told me about an area post office that accepted walk-ins.

I waited in line for 2 hours. When it was my turn, it took about 5 minutes to hand over my documents for processing. I paid the expedited fee and was told it could take up to 3 weeks. It took less than 1 week to get my new passport.

 

[skategal]

I'm in Canada and I got my son's done in 3 days. His citizenship just happened to come through 3 days before we travelled to the USA and we preferred to have a passport for him.

No proof of travel was required as long as I was willing to pay the extra fee.

It was walk-in service. Too late for mail-in.

 

[maatTheViking]

I lost my passport and had to get a new one because I was going on a cruise within six weeks. I used the expedited service but, because I had lost my passport, I had to go in person to a post office that processed the passports. I called a number of post offices in my area and learned I needed an appointment and couldn't get one for weeks. Finally, one of the employees told me about an area post office that accepted walk-ins.

I waited in line for 2 hours. When it was my turn, it took about 5 minutes to hand over my documents for processing. I paid the expedited fee and was told it could take up to 3 weeks. It took less than 1 week to get my new passport.

In many cities you can do it in the city hall. The US gov travel page has a location page searchable by zip. This is ONLY for the 3 weeks expedited and the 6 weeks regular, not the 8 days emergency ones.
You have to always show up in person for kids passport (with both parents or a notarized note from the other parent), we just walked into our local city hall for passport renewal. They wanted both the birth certificate (for validating we were the parents) and his old passport.

 

[Nomad]

In CA and MD you can get a passport at the post office.